âWe like to say that God has a plan, but we just didnât get to have a say in it. After the boys died, we dedicated our lives to encouraging young people to get help with depression. So many soldiers are afraid to seek help. Theyâre afraid to tell the Army. Theyâre afraid of what their fellow soldiers will think. We want them to know that itâs no different than asking for help with a broken arm. After the boys died, we never thought weâd be happy again. Carol felt suicidal herself. I felt guilty for even laughing. But happiness returned slowly. Our daughter Melanie is doing great. Sheâs a runner, and a swimmer, and a nurse. I ended up getting promoted to general on September 22ndâJeffreyâs birthday. My boss engraved my sonsâ names on each star. During the ceremony, while he was pinning the stars on my shoulders, he told me: âKevin and Jeffrey will always be with you.â When I became a general, I was allowed to select an aide. I interviewed eight people for the position. I chose a fantastic young man named Joe Quinn. And Joe is now my son-in-law. He ended up falling in love with Melanie, they got married, and weâre expecting our first grandchild in a month. We are just giddy about that. So âhappy nowâ is different than âhappy then,â but we do feel happiness again. âHappy nowâ is Melanie and Joe. âHappy nowâ is our future grandchild. And âhappy nowâ is a young soldier who hears Kevinâs story, and tells us that they got help.â
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