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CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (1/19/2013) — “I heard about the
crash on the news, and the doorbell rang. I saw the men in
uniform coming in and shouted ‘no, no, no!'”
“Death
leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no
one can steal.” –Anonymous
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U.S. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Aaron Vaughn and his wife, Kimberly, sit with their two children, Reagan and Chamberlyn,
in their last family photo before Aaron was killed in action Aug. 6,
2011. (Courtesy photo)
Kimberly Vaughn, widow of U.S. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator
(SEAL) Aaron Vaughn, hugs their son Reagan in front of her late
husband's grave site at Arlington National Cemetery in September of
2012. (Courtesy photo)
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“I heard about the crash on the news, and the
doorbell rang . . . I saw the men in uniform
coming in and shouted ‘no, no, no!'”
Aug. 6, 2011, is
a date many Americans might not recognize, but it is a day
that Kimberly Vaughn and many others will never forget. The
death of 30 Americans in a helicopter crash in East
Afghanistan during a fire fight became one of the deadliest
losses for American Forces in the decade-old war against the
Taliban.
“They told me there was a helicopter crash
and that [my husband] Aaron was on board, and there were no
survivors.”
Vaughn, mother of two young children,
Reagan and Chamberlyn, said this day – the day her husband
was killed – was a day she will never forget.
“Everything is engrained in my memory,” she said. “It was
like a movie playing out in real life. You've seen it
before. You've seen it in the movies. You know it happens to
other families, but this time it was happening to me.”
Vaughn met U.S. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator
(SEAL) Aaron Vaughn in Guam in 2005 while on an Armed Forces
Entertainment tour as a Washington Redskins cheerleader.
During her time as a cheerleader, she went on 12 tours and
saw more than 40 countries. She always loved the military
and grew up in a Navy family. She said she really admired
that quality in individuals.
“It takes a special type
of person to join the military and serve their country,” she
said. “To me, it was a wonderful quality and something I
admired in him.”
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It's that love for the military that
brought Vaughn to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, for her first
time back on tour since the incident. Donald Wells, Camp
Lemonnier Morale, Welfare and Recreation community
activities director, and previous Redskins cheerleader
coach, suggested she come back on tour and visit the troops
stationed in Djibouti, Africa.
“She loved the
military and those who serve,” Wells said. “She had
volunteered her time more than any other NFL Cheerleader to
go on tour. She went on a dozen tours to say thank you to
the troops. I would say she is a hero and is an amazing
example of a military spouse who stands behind her loved one
and will continue to give back to her country in any way she
can. Even after this tragedy, she is still willing to come
out and support.”
Wells has known Vaughn since 1998
when she auditioned and became a Washington Redskins
Cheerleader. He had been her coach and was there to witness
her relationship with Aaron blossom. He also was there to
see her through her tragedy.
“I was driving and I
heard on the radio that a chopper went down with Navy SEALs
on it in Afghanistan,” said Wells. “I instantly thought of
two of my cheerleader's husbands who were there because one
of them was a Special Forces helicopter pilot and the other
was Aaron.”
Wells said he called Vaughn, and she
picked up the phone crying. He said he knew from that moment
that her husband had been on that flight. He rushed straight
over to meet her.
“As I arrived to Kimberly's house,
I walked in and she – of course – was crying, but she still
had strength in her to hold her newborn baby and raise their
one-year-old child.”
Wells said Vaughn has always
been passionate about the military. Coming back on tour
after all that has happened took a lot of strength but has
also assisted in the healing process.
“Coming out
here helped remind her why she did all those tours,” said
Wells. “She was able to go back on her grieving and thank
all of these troops for their service to our country.
Watching her talk to them and smile and laugh helped a
little of the pain go away for a few days.”
During
Vaughn's time here, she visited various units on base with
current NFL cheerleaders, meeting with many service members
and bringing a bit of home to them for the holidays.
“It's been very cathartic for me,” she said. “Seeing and
meeting tons of military men and women who serve their
country reminds me that Aaron was doing what he loved to do.
It's great just being able to bring a bit of home to people
over here who have been away from their friends and
families, reminding them that all of us back home support
what they do and that we appreciate them. Being able to tell
them that in person is really rewarding.”
Vaughn's
visit allowed her to share her story with many troops,
showing them the appreciation she felt they deserved. She
said surrounding herself with service members was a special
way she could remember Aaron and be proud of who he was and
what he stood for.
“The troops that met her and heard
about her story all thank her for her sacrifice,” Wells
said. “They were impressed by her strength and ability to
still come out and thank them for doing what they do.”
Although her life will never be the same, Vaughn has
embraced her husband's legacy and found the strength to push
forward, but will forever remember him as a loving husband,
father, patriot and a hero.
“I'm trying really hard
to focus on the love he had for his country and his job over
how he died,” she said. “I'm trying to focus on how he
lived, and being around these men and women has just been
wonderful for me. I'm just going to focus on finding a happy
life for my children and myself. I know he would want that
for us, and I want that for us too. I'm going to focus on
getting on and living life to the fullest and earning his
sacrifice and the sacrifice of so many.
By Army Staff Sgt. Veronica Mcmahon
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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