History, Memory, and Remembering Those We Have Lost 

  • Published
  • By Ms. Shannon Murphy
  • 932nd Airlift Wing History Office

History, Memory, and Remembering Those We Have Lost 

 

Our wing has suffered greatly from loss in 2020 and 2021. Grief is intensified by the idea that the person lost will be lost to history as an ever-growing distant memory. A person can never be truly gone if their memory stays alive. How we choose to remember our family, friends, or co-workers is a way of preserving memory, legacy, and character. Certain facts about a person – such as their birthday, the color of their eyes, what they liked to drink – remain attached to their memory, and help anchor how we can remember them. Research examining the effect of memory on history (how people and events are remembered) shows that as time moves forward, our memories can recall people and events differently. The importance of sharing experiences, capturing stories and recollections, is stressed in order to preserve memory at its clearest. By remembering those we have lost these last two years (and beyond), our beloved 932d family remains intact, holding the memory of their contributions as a service member and as a human close to us. We may have lost their active presence in our lives, but we will never lose their spirit or their inclusion in our wing, their memory as large as their lives. 

In Memorium:

TSgt Anthony Campbell 

TSgt Brock Garrison

SMSgt Montana Porch

MSgt Matthew Berens (Ret.)

Capt Troy Manz

SrA Babu Dharmarajan

TSgt Antonio Valentine (Ret.) 

 

Resources:

Military One Source

Wounded Warrior Coordinator

Vet Center

(Civilian) EAP Program

TAPS for grief

Vets Crisis Line

Chaplain 

MFLAC