Our nation and our communities do a tremendous job honoring veterans but there’s more to the military family that is oftentimes overlooked – the children of those veterans.
But there are some awareness events going on that will hopefully relieve this. The Department of Defense sanctioned April as the month of the Military Child across the nation, and the community of Republic will hold its 8th Annual Ruck ‘N’ Run event in November. In Carthage, Mo., this virtual event lasts through April and honors a 12-year-old who tragically died while her father was deployed two years ago. A kid-friendly get-together event will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23 on the Ruby Jack Trail – under the Oak Street bridge in Carthage.
Every penny donated to this Ruck ‘N’ Run challenge will be given to Hannah’s Heroes – an on-going fund established in 2021 for local military families for financial aid, connection to community resources and support kids. This fund was created after a Carthage blended family lost Hannah Hurlbut, 12, to juvenile diabetes in April 2020. She was the daughter of Keith and Nikki Hurlbut and Ashley and Doug Weston. She was the sibling of Caleb, 16; Olivia, 11; and Lizzy, 7. She was a tenderhearted, artistic and imaginative girl who attended the Carthage Intermediate Center and Mark Twain Elementary School. Her favorite colors were blue and purple.
“Grief hits you at different times and is weird like that, but I’ll always remember the people of our school district hugging my girls,” Nikki said. “I grew up with these people who work here now, and that has helped a lot – it helps you breathe. People have reminded our kids that God is good. They’ve still pushed them to succeed. But they were there for us in ways they didn’t have to be. And I’m so grateful – because without our school district – we wouldn’t have many other resources.”
As both service members of the Missouri National Guard, Keith and Nikki will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in June. Two years ago, Keith was about halfway through his nine-month deployment in Kuwait when he learned Hannah was Med-Flighted to Joplin. After she passed, the National Guard had Keith home in 24 hours.
“We were in COVID, his travel, the processing it takes to come home – there were two National Guardsmen who came from Springfield just to drive Keith to where he needed to go … it was amazing he was home in 24 hours,” Nikki said. “Through this whole thing, we’ve seen God plant people in perfect ways at perfect times. But it’s been hard for our household. Hannah and Olivia had bunk beds together – they were inseparable. They had made a scavenger hunt, and we found six little pieces of paper with clues over the house. It led to the ‘Inside Out’ movie. [paused to smile] She would keep the tags off new clothes ’cause she knew there was potential for something cool for them.”
Hannah’s legacy will support other little precious warriors for years to come.
“Military kids are amazing,” Nikki said. “Sacrifice is a word you use for actions you take – it’s a choice – Kids don’t have a choice. They don’t see it that way – they see it as their duty and they push through a lot. They internalize a lot. They’re experiencing emotions that they don’t have vocabulary for yet. They live in homes where parents can’t turn off the military. A ‘mom bag’ is like a ruck – it’s a heavy backpack with everything you need to survive. With this event, a ruck represents the weight you carry for not only yourself, but those around you. You carry weight – all veterans carry weight for our country – so others don’t have to. To me, it also represents the weight Jesus carries for us all … I’m so grateful for this event and the month of April when my kids are seen and loved and people learn more about what it takes to be a military family.”
The local Ruck ‘N’ Run challenge registration includes a coin and T-shirt, and expires at the end of April. Donations to Hannah’s Heroes are always accepted and appreciated for local families. Please join the fun, wear purple and bring the family to the event Saturday to the Ruby Jack Trail (under the Oak Street bridge just north of the Carthage Golf Course.) Click here for more info.
