Faces of Resilience
resilient, adjective:
1 resilient materials: flexible, pliable, supple; durable, hardwearing, stout, strong, sturdy, tough.
2 young and resilient: strong, tough, hardy; quick to recover, buoyant, irrepressible.
Resilience has been the key word for 2020. This year has brought us a pandemic, an economic crisis, an upheaval of normalcy, and so much more. Yet, through it all, we have persevered.
As James Lane Allen once said, “adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” This year, the nation—and the world—has experienced adversity.
At Hope For The Warriors, we know that adversity and resilience aren’t strange concepts to our warriors. Time and time again, we’ve witnessed our community overcome hardships in the face of adversity, and this year has been no exception. Since many of us have been reeling from the effects of COVID-19, we at HOPE wanted to instill some extra positivity into the world through our Faces of Resilience series. We used the series as an inspirational reminder that we all have what it takes to persevere.
Each week, we’ve highlighted a special warrior whose resilience was motivation for us to push through these times. Our warriors continue to inspire us every day—through their service and sacrifices for our country, for their strength in transitioning to civilian life, through their tenacity, and for persevering through whatever obstacles stand in their way.
Our warriors are a symbol of our nation—they’ve fought and sacrificed in defense of our country and for our freedoms. They serve as a living reminder that each of us has what it takes to overcome hardships.
This year may have dealt us a tough blow, but because of the strength of our warriors, we know that we can continue to survive and thrive and remain resilient through it all.
Here are a few Faces of Resilience to help inspire you as we head into 2021:
Kevin Wallace, U.S. Air Force retired
While serving for more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, Kevin Wallace dedicated his military career to serving behind a camera as a combat photojournalist. His career path led him to work with some of the nation’s most elite service members to capture and tell their stories in battle.
As a war photographer, Wallace witnessed and captured the full spectrum of war—death, destruction, and survival. After Wallace earned a Purple Heart in 2011 and retired in 2017, HOPE honored him with a camera and underwater camera equipment as part of our Warrior’s Wish program, so that he could continue his passion and study photography at George Mason University’s graduate school.
To keep up with his work, follow him at kevinwallaceart.com.
John Phelps, Vietnam veteran and Gold Star parent
Vietnam veteran John Phelps has embodied resilience more than most.
In 2004, John’s son, Chance Phelps, and his convoy fell under attack. Wounded in the firefight, Chance refused to be medevac’d and continued to fight until he was fatally wounded. His heroic actions that day and his journey home to his final resting place was featured in the iconic film, Taking Chance, produced by HBO.
To honor his son’s legacy, John sculpted a life-sized statue called, “No Man Left Behind,” modeled after the “Hell House” photo taken by acclaimed combat photographer Lucian Reed in Fallujah, Iraq. Today, this beautiful monument is found at both Wounded Warrior Battalion East and West aboard Camps Lejeune and Pendleton. Both are cast in bronze to represent the Bronze Star Medal that Chance earned in battle.
To the post-9/11 warrior community, the monument symbolizes strength, courage, and brotherhood and serves as a special place for awards and retirement ceremonies for our wounded service members and present-day warfighters.
Bob and Cindy Roberts, Gold Star parents
Gold Star parents Bob and Cindy Roberts were named recipients of The Vigiano Family Hope and Courage Award at the 2017 Hope For The Warriors’ Got Heart Give Hope Gala for the work they do in honor of their fallen daughter, Sgt. Kristie Roberts.
Kristie was a medic in the military and was an advocate for the very young and very old, wanting to be a voice for those who are not able to speak for themselves. Throughout her military career, Kristie served in both the New York Army National Guard and the New York Air National Guard. On Aug. 21, 2012, Bob and Cindy became Gold Star parents. Kristie was one of the 22 a day who die by suicide. She was 27.
In their journey after Kristie’s death, the Roberts found the support, courage, and strength to share their story with the hope of raising awareness for suicide prevention, hoping that no other family will have to experience the loss that they’ve felt. Since connecting with HOPE in May 2017, the family has worked tirelessly, continuing to connect with other Gold Star families, while providing support for each other and helping others find their voice to share their story.
