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Marines often find themselves in foreign lands fighting to ensure
safety at home. This selfless devotion to patriotic duty takes them
far away for extended periods of time. Their resilient spirits and
sense of brotherhood keep them in good spirits ... but nothing
excites a Marine more ... other than a good fire fight ... than
receiving a care package from loved ones. This simple act has the
ability to bring out tears of joy from some of the most fearless
warriors history has seen.
Unfortunately, for reasons ranging
from financial strain to the absence of family, some Marines never
experience the pure elation of receiving even a single letter. And
while they are always willing to share what they receive with each
other, it's the knowing that someone back home took the time to
think of them that gives them a sense of ease and rejuvenates their
will.
Since
Operation Desert Shield, Maxine Russell has worked tirelessly to
ensure service members feel supported, loved and appreciated for
their sacrifices. She does this by sending care packages to deployed
troops, adopting families for the holidays and providing grief
counseling to those who return dealing with post-traumatic stress.
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November 9, 2016 - Maxine Russell shows a photograph of her son.
What started as a gesture of support for troops turned into building
a legacy for her deceased son. For nearly 30 years Maxine has sent
more than 7,200 care packages, adopted military families for the
holiday's, and volunteers her time as a grief counselor to veterans
struggling with post-traumatic stress, all in the name of her son
Darren “White Rabbit” Russell. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt.
William Perkins)
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“A lot of them call me their grandmother, and that just
makes me feel so good,” said Russell, as she flipped through
a photo album containing pictures of Marines deployed
overseas holding up various snacks. “Look at them, they're
all smiles. I've gotten to know so many of them so well, and
they're the ones that are making all of the sacrifices.
They're heroes, all of them, for what they do.”
Despite nearly 30 years of sending care packages, Russell is
exceedingly modest about her efforts in supporting troops.
“I grew up in the Vietnam Era,” said Russell. “A lot of my
friends served in Vietnam, and they came back and they were called
names and spat on. Some of them are lucky and are fine, but others
never were the same. I want to make sure from here on out, everyone
in the military knows they're appreciated, loved and supported.”
Maxine's spirit of philanthropy extends beyond military. Her
contributions to humanity started when she was an inner city school
educator in Watts and South Los Angeles. She took a proactive
approach in her teaching style, by encouraging positive behavior in
her classroom. Students who exhibited excellent work ethic and
manners were rewarded with activities such as trips to the theatre,
beach or swimming and piano lessons.
“Unfortunately, there
isn't much for them to do in Watts or [South Los Angeles],” said
Russell. “This was a way for me to show them good behavior gets
rewarded, and that there is a world full of possibilities waiting
for them.”
After 20 years of inspiring young minds, life
changing events shifted Maxine's passion from teaching to grief
counseling.
On April 14, 2005 tragedy struck the Russell
household. Mr. and Mrs. Russell received a phone call from the U.S.
State Department informing them that their son Darren had been
murdered.
Darren had been following his mother's footsteps
in education, and had been teaching English to more than 1,200
children in Guangzhou, China.
Filled with heartache, Maxine
relied on her faith to help her through her adversity.
“I
remember being in temple and it was a prayer service for Yom Kippur
and the Rabbi was saying, ‘I'm sure some of you who have lost loved
ones would rather be with them,' and I was thinking absolutely,”
said Russell somberly as she recalled the memory. “And then he
added, ‘but if you do that who is going to keep their memory alive,'
and it was just like a light went off, and immediately I started
thinking of ways I could honor his memory.”
Having dealt with
grief and post-traumatic stress, Maxine decided to dedicate her life
to honoring her son by volunteering to counsel veterans dealing with
post-traumatic stress and military families dealing with loss.
“I think I was kind of ready to be a grief counselor because you
go through so much,” said Russell with a calm and soothing voice.
“And people look at you and say, ‘how can you do that after dealing
with your son's [loss],' but it's almost like a natural calling
because you have that bond, and it's a bond you never want to have
because it involves losing a loved one, but it's there.”
Whether it's through a package received in some country far off
filled with a taste of home, or a veteran who has returned and is
struggling with his own grief, it's clear to see that members from
all branches benefit from Darren's legacy.
At 70 years of
age, Maxine has no intentions of slowing down. She has a list of
mental health professionals willing to donate their time to help
veterans struggling to cope with PTS, and hopes to find a building
where they can work out of to provide these services.
“As we
grow older and mine and my husband's finances change it gets a
little more challenging,” said Russell as she thinks about the
future of her volunteering. “But whatever the cost I'll continue to
do this, because this is where my main focus is, this is what I care
about the most.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Emmanuele Ramos
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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