Room of Remembrance opens

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The Room of Remembrance, part of Survivor Outreach Services, was officially opened in Building 600 on JBER Jan. 25. According to Valerie O'Hare, SOS coordinator, the SOS demonstrates the Army's commitment to families of the fallen by providing support and standardized services to active, Reserve, and Army National Guard Families. Their services include benefits coordinators, financial counselors and support coordinators available to deliver individualized support and attention to survivors across the nation.

"Really this is kind of a dream," said Leslie Hufstedler-Alvarez, volunteer program manager and a survivor. "When I got here, SOS had just been in existence for about a year.

"We just wanted a space where survivors could come and we could have support meetings and do fun things for the kids, just a place where they are remembered," she continued. "It took a couple of years; funding was sometimes difficult. We had some generous donors who made it possible. I think it's more than we could have imagined."

SOS is an Army Family Covenant commitment. Because they are located on a joint base, they provide some serves to all service members regardless of component.

"We serve any branch here," she said. "We moved from one small office on the first floor, up here to this office that's a large room. We had some personnel changes and they were able to move to this whole suite so we have this beautiful room."

While most of the families supported are from Alaska, there are a few from other states and anyone that finds themselves in the area is welcome.

"If a family has moved here for some reason, they can come here," Hufstedler-Alvarez said. "I remarried and my husband is Army, that's how we moved here; my guy's on the wall.

"A lot of these, either their parents were here, or their care giver moved up here. Most are hometown folks. Anybody who seeks services here can come."

The Room of Remembrance, where the photos of the fallen are hung, holds special meaning for everyone using it.

"I love this room because it's a quiet place," she said. "When I think the world has started to forget about our guys, this is a place where we all can come together, that's an active memory. They will always be nailed up there on that wall. It's just nice to gather in their presence when we do our potlucks and things like that. It's a long-time dream that's been accomplished today so it's good to see that the families seem to be appreciating it. Hopefully this will call even more people in to utilize the services."

The SOS mission includes expanding and improving services to survivors, defining roles and responsibilities for all agencies and all components, improving responsiveness and streamlining the assistance process for families, providing access to local counselors and coordinators as well as long term family case management.

"They're wonderful," said Donna Fleury, survivor of son Cpl. Gregory Michael William Fleury. "When I was in a time of need after I had lost my son, they were here to support me in any way possible, and that support came through other people who were going through the same circumstances that I was with the loss of my son.

"Gregory is my one and only son, and he chose to go into the Marines. When he did, I was honored by that; I was so happy for him. I told him 'you are going to do really well and whatever you want to do.' He said the Marine life would give him what he wanted. It ultimately did; he went in a boy and came out a man. I've seen that in his photos. For me, it was very encouraging to see that because this life they choose, the life that the families choose, makes a difference for us. It made a huge difference for me and my life, my family's life too. It's an honor."

Fleury was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan Oct. 26, 2009, she said.
"It's very devastating for the families," she continued, "more so for the families that were involved in this accident because there's a tremendous loss that they felt. We're basically now in the healing process and what this Room of Remembrance means to me is that the unit was there and loved me before I could love myself in my loss.
"I think that's the most important thing is that I can give back to the community that way; give to other families who have gone through a tragedy that they have nowhere to begin, or nowhere to end, and for me that's a journey that you'll always continue to be on with the unit members that did survive as well as the families.

"For me, it's just a closure as well as a beginning," the surviving mother said. "I hope there's many more of these around the world that people can enjoy and go to and celebrate life because their lives are so important, even though they may have been killed and gone before us, they'll still live within us and that's the most important thing. It gives hope to a lot of people that may not have hope in a time of loss that takes years to accept and maybe years to heal from. That's what it means to me."

Perhaps the best support the SOS offers is connection between survivors. SOS offers six support groups a month, for parents, battle buddies and families. They also offer monthly potlucks and quilting groups.

"I come here often," Fluery said. "I help with the planning and some of the stages of getting things organized and together. For me, behind the scenes helps me to heal so that those that are in front of everything know that there are people willing to do this and not be acknowledged so that's important for me as well.

"I have to thank everybody that's been a part of this because without everybody here on base getting everything approved, knowing that this room is here for everybody and not just those that are active and on duty as well as those no longer active and on duty have a place they can come to, to give support and help that they may need no matter where they are in life."