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Operation Healing Heroes S02E02
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00:00Welcome to Operation Healing Heroes. Join us in the boat today as we feature Gold Star
00:09spouse Kelly Campbell Goodnow. They served for us. They sacrificed for us. Their stories
00:23deserve to be told. Every military veteran has a story to tell. Join our host Jay Garstecki
00:35as we honor the stories of our true American heroes, one soldier at a time. The mission
00:43today is Operation Healing Heroes. Brought to you by Great Clips.
00:53It's been said that the strength of our nation is our military servicemen and women. And
01:06their strength comes from their families. It's just outside of Kansas City where we connect
01:13with Gold Star wife Kelly Campbell Goodnow. Our viewers may or may not know what a Gold
01:21Star family is, right? And it almost sounds like it's a prestigious thing if you don't
01:27know any better, right? So Gold Star family is not something that you'd want to ever be.
01:33Right. Yeah, you know, we say, Gold Star wives will say it's a club you never want to be in.
01:42Mm-hmm. But once you are, you're never alone. Yeah. I remember being at a Memorial Day event. And my daughter, Kate, she had her Gold Star pin on her shirt. And somebody looked at it and said, Oh, Gold Star, what's that?
02:03You know, how do I get a Gold Star? You know, your heart just drops in that moment when you have to explain, you know, again, to a stranger. And of course, then they feel bad.
02:14You know, but yeah, it's a badge no one wants to wear at all. When Sean explained to me what he was headed into with the Marine Corps, after we knew we were headed towards marriage, he came to me with a list of questions on a yellow legal pad. And he had written out all of these what ifs, just things he wanted me to consider, things he had had to consider. You know, questions like, do you realize, you know, my job, I may have to take this
02:44and take someone's life? Linda, do you realize that I may lose my life someday? Very serious what ifs when it comes to the military. And we went through those questions. And we cried through those questions.
02:56And then we put that piece of paper away, and we never, never thought about the what ifs again.
03:03And I think back on that conversation. And I'm just so thankful that he had the care and the wisdom to bring that up and to address it and to talk about it as hard as it was. But then for us to be able to look at it and say, we are not going to live in fear.
03:29And we didn't.
03:33So Sean was going into the Marine Corps to be a pilot, correct?
03:39Mm-hmm. Yeah.
03:40And when did he actually get his wings?
03:42He pinned on his wings in December of 03. And by the time he pinned on his wings, I was very pregnant with our first son.
03:51Yeah, I remember a couple times when Sean would, you know, he would sing the Marine Corps hymn at the top of his lungs in the shower or, you know, once we were camping, actually in college.
04:02So he was just about to become a Marine and we were on a camping trip with other people and it's dark and everybody's intense and he's singing at the top of his lungs in the tent.
04:11And he just, he had a lot of pride in the Marine Corps.
04:18Operation Healing Heroes is brought to you by Great Cliffs, the Yance Valor Foundation, and by the Al Lynch Foundation.
04:30Operation Healing Heroes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to documenting the lives of our US military veterans.
04:40In addition, we also provide financial support and treatment for post-traumatic stress.
04:45Your donation will help heal our heroes.
04:54January 14th, 2016, about 18 months into living in Hawaii, that was the day that everything changed.
05:03Sean had a night flight scheduled.
05:06So he was home that morning.
05:08He was going to go into work later and we were all together.
05:12We had just kind of come down off of Christmas break high.
05:16You know, we had family visiting and we'd spent 10 days just being tourists on the island together and enjoying that time.
05:23And Sean had taken some time off.
05:25So I know now what a blessing that was.
05:27And then that day he was home and we were all, well, we were all kind of grumpy.
05:32We weren't ready to go back to work and school and normal life, but that's what we were working on.
05:39And I remember, you know, I had come down kind of sick that day and, you know, just a normal kind of day for a family of six.
05:50And Sean being Sean, he didn't want to leave for work and leave us in that state.
05:56So, you know, I just remember him.
05:59He was in a flight suit, ready to go.
06:00But he gathered us all in the living room and we all sat down and just to kind of take a breath as a family.
06:08And he just wanted us to hit reset, you know, so he prayed for us.
06:16And we were a praying family, you know, always.
06:18But he didn't necessarily sit us down every day before he left for work.
06:22And so it was unusual.
06:23And yet I know it was just something in his spirit slowed him down that day.
06:29He prayed that we would love one another well.
06:38And that was it.
06:39And then he hugged us goodbye.
06:43And he said he'd be home in the morning.
06:48And I know that he was.
06:54I know that Sean was home in heaven before that next morning.
06:59So we went to bed that night, you know, just sure he would come in in the middle of the night like always.
07:04And I remember I was woke up by a phone call at 4 o'clock in the morning.
07:11And it was my dad.
07:12He was calling from Kansas because of the time zone difference.
07:16He was awake and watching the news.
07:18And there was news of a crash in Hawaii.
07:21A massive search continues in the waters off Oahu's North Shore.
07:25Twelve Marines are still missing after the two helicopters they were on crashed.
07:29He had hesitated to call, but just couldn't stand it anymore.
07:32And woke me up just to make sure that Sean was home.
07:36And that's when I realized he was not home.
07:39And that was when I reached over.
07:42I remember putting my hand on his pillow.
07:46The news was saying that the crash was two CH-53s from Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
07:54He had gone out to fly a night flight with two helicopters.
07:58And so I knew in that moment it was him.
08:01But you can't.
08:03It wouldn't process.
08:05So I remember I got up and just kind of, I didn't really know what to do.
08:12Like, you're standing there thinking, do I get dressed?
08:16Do I go to the squadron?
08:17Do I wake up the kids?
08:18What do I do?
08:19But I remember making some calls and trying to figure out, you know, who can tell me something.
08:26And I think in the back of my mind I knew, like, he's not home.
08:30This crash was him.
08:32But you can't process that.
08:34And so, and I needed to hear the words from somebody.
08:38And I waited and waited.
08:39And I remember at one point sitting down in my living room and picking up my Bible.
08:44And I don't think I read anything.
08:48I just sat there with it.
08:52Just knowing, knowing, you know, I had no other comfort.
08:59And the sun came up.
09:02I remember sitting outside on the sidewalk outside of my house.
09:05Maybe I was trying not to scare my kids.
09:08At that point they had woken up and were asking questions.
09:11And I was sitting outside on the phone with a friend.
09:14And she was on her way over.
09:16As I was talking to her, I looked up.
09:18And our front yard was surrounded by this stone wall.
09:21And I saw three officers suddenly appeared, you know, around the bushes.
09:28And they were coming around that wall.
09:33And I remember my daughter Katie running to the gate to let them in.
09:37And it felt like in that moment maybe she thought one of them was her dad.
09:43But they came in and, you know, they're in dress uniforms.
09:46And so I knew what they were there to say.
09:52And I had been waiting just for somebody to just tell me.
09:57And I looked up and one of them was Sean's closest friend from the squadron.
10:01And so I grabbed him and said, just help me.
10:06And his answer was, we don't know.
10:08We don't know.
10:10I mean, yeah, of course.
10:11Wow.
10:12I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
10:13Throw a little bit.
10:14Yeah, that's a tiny bit of it.
10:15There's a little bit.
10:16Yeah, there's a little chunk on there.
10:17They'll still eat it.
10:18It's a little bit too.
10:19It's a little bit.
10:20You're gonna take it out.
10:21They're the ones that eat it.
10:22Can I have Herrn?
10:23He's trying to take it too.
10:24Hey, man.
10:25You're gonna get me again.
10:26Oh, my.
10:27Yeah right.
10:28Yeah, that's a tiny bit of it there.
10:29Yeah, it's a little chunk on there.
10:31They'll still eat it.
10:32You're ready to eat.
10:33Whatever.
10:34You gonna do just make sure I'm not going to eat it.
10:35I'm going to keep eating it.
10:36There's a tiny bit of it there.
10:38Yeah, there's a little chunk on there.
10:39They'll still eat it.
10:40Okay, come on, little fish.
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10:49If you're a US military veteran in Illinois, Wisconsin,
10:53Michigan, Minnesota, or beautiful sunny Florida,
10:56log onto our website, takeavetfishing.org
10:59to find an event near you.
11:00After a nighttime training mission,
11:08Major Sean Campbell's helicopter was missing.
11:12And so he took me inside, and they read the official report,
11:15and, you know, it said,
11:17missing collision, missing ocean.
11:23And my kids are hearing this, and they're suddenly thinking,
11:26okay, Dad's out in a lifeboat somewhere.
11:28And I'm hearing this and thinking,
11:32you know, I knew.
11:35The one blessing of that week,
11:38you know, it was five days of searching and waiting.
11:41And so in that time,
11:42our family and friends all came out to be with us.
11:45And on that last day, when the final report came,
11:48and they had, you know, DNA evidence
11:51that they knew there were no survivors,
11:54you know, there was a crowd of people in my yard.
11:58I mean, there were so many people, we had to go in the yard.
12:01And they read that report.
12:03And, you know, my mom was there with Aunt.
12:08And then we sat down in the living room with the kids,
12:11just grandparents and me.
12:16And, you know, each child at that point was in someone's lap
12:19when I had to tell them that their dad was not coming home.
12:26And I'm glad it was that moment,
12:28and not that first day, when we were by ourselves.
12:31Mm-hmm.
12:36So how do you get through something like that?
12:38I mean, just prayer.
12:39You kind of go into survival mode.
12:45Mm-hmm.
12:46Which means you end up relying on habits you didn't know you had.
12:51Mm-hmm.
12:52You know, I remember that morning as I waited
12:55and didn't know what to do,
12:56picking up my Bible and just holding it.
12:58If I read, I don't remember.
13:01But, you know, I just remember I didn't know what to do,
13:05but I knew the God we trusted in had not changed.
13:10And so our faith really got us through that time.
13:12And our faith really, I think,
13:14and because I have an extended family that also feels that way,
13:20we just were surrounded by comfort and prayer and peace.
13:25Peace is what, that morning when we were waiting,
13:30there was so much peace that I can't explain.
13:34And that really stayed with us.
13:35You know, I think about Sean praying for us as he left
13:38and sort of instilling peace in our home.
13:41Mm-hmm.
13:42And it didn't leave.
13:45We had a squadron memorial on the base right after.
14:00Ready!
14:02Hey!
14:05Hey!
14:26Major Kimball!
14:28The Heart of America Patriot Foundation provides educational support and scholarships for
14:53dependence of deceased or 100% disabled veterans.
15:01If you'd like to personally thank a veteran that you've seen in one of our episodes or
15:04nominate a veteran to be featured in a future episode, log on to our website, OperationHealingHeroes.org.
15:13Operation Healing Heroes is brought to you by Recon Boats, XL Automotive, and by Temple
15:21Bay Lodge.
15:27I remember getting on that plane in Hawaii to leave without my husband.
15:37And up until that day, it had been getting ready and doing the next thing and doing the
15:41next thing, and one thing after another after another, and life is just moving, and you're
15:45just surviving, and then suddenly it gets really quiet.
15:50And I think that's when it really sets in, like, so this is my life now.
15:55Yeah.
15:56What do I do?
15:58I didn't know how, but I knew I needed to get back to something normal, you know?
16:05But I didn't know what normal looked like anymore.
16:07Right.
16:08And I didn't know where to live.
16:09Where do you live when the Marine Corps is not telling you where to live?
16:12Right.
16:13I didn't know how to choose my own zip code.
16:15And so moving into a house in Leawood, Kansas, with my children and me was weird.
16:23It was also really scary and sad, you know, to find a home that was just me and my kids.
16:29It just felt so lonely.
16:31I have to believe at that point your faith played a big part in it also.
16:36Very big.
16:37Yeah.
16:38During that time, I just, I clung to God and I knew He had a plan.
16:48Mm-hmm.
16:49And I knew it was good.
16:54I just couldn't see it.
16:55Mm-hmm.
16:56How do you move on and actually pick up the pieces and move on with your life?
17:03You don't expect to find yourself thinking about dating as a single mom of four when you're
17:0938, you know?
17:10You don't move on, but you move forward.
17:12Mm-hmm.
17:13You know, and you take it all with you.
17:15So, you know, it was a weird time and I probably started thinking, you know, out of loneliness.
17:20And you get lonely and, you know, watching my kids go through life without a dad.
17:28Oh, it's hard.
17:29But God brought along Mike, who is just a miracle.
17:33Four years after Sean's death, Kelly and Mike Goodnow were married right before the COVID
17:40pandemic shut the world down.
17:42That was the hugest gift for us, to bond and to see the kids just really, really attached
17:48to Mike.
17:49And throughout, for him to be willing to talk about Sean and to tell them when he saw things
17:55in them that they got from their dad.
17:58And you've got to know that Sean would have wanted you to be happy.
18:01Definitely.
18:02Definitely.
18:03I like to think they would have been good friends.
18:06You know, Sean had always wanted to take Tristan out hunting, shooting.
18:10You know, it was something they loved, but didn't get a lot of opportunities.
18:14And Mike's a big hunter.
18:15And so, you know, I just remember him, after the first time he took Tristan out hunting,
18:20telling me about, you know, he was a great shot.
18:23And he looked at him and said, you got that from your dad.
18:27You know, there's nothing better as a mom to see this man step into that role and love
18:36your kids so well.
18:38But also he has a love for Sean, their dad.
18:42And he knows what a big role he stepped into, but he still did it.
18:47And that took a lot of courage.
18:50The words of Isaiah 41, 13 came to me at some point.
18:55I am your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not be afraid.
19:03I will help you.
19:05And even now I'm struck by those words because it reminds me how true they are and how true
19:13they've been, how I've seen that.
19:15You know, God took hold of my hand, not just on the day Sean died, but long before.
19:22You know, he was preparing us for this because he knew.
19:26And, you know, I know now that all those years of building community and friends and, you
19:32know, being, Sean being the parent he was and praying his last prayer for us to love each
19:38other, that was, that was God working in him to prepare us.
19:42I almost feel silly giving you a gift, but I just want to say thank you for sharing your
19:47story with us.
19:48And I want to give you this custom St. Croix rod that we had made for you.
19:53It says Kelly Campbell and appreciation of your sacrifice.
19:56And it's all the Marine, all the branches of service on there.
20:01That's for you.
20:02That's really cool.
20:03And then we've also got your own Operation Healing Heroes jersey.
20:06Awesome.
20:07To commemorate our time together.
20:08Thank you so much.
20:09We'll use it.
20:12Of course.
20:14Thank you for sharing Sean's story.
20:15Thank you for preserving his legacy.
20:16Thank you for sharing his story.
20:17I appreciate it.
20:18It means a lot to us.
20:19That's beautiful.
20:20And I hope that we can just honor him the way he deserves to be honored because he's a
20:25true American hero.
20:27If you'd like to personally thank a veteran that you've seen in one of our episodes or nominate
20:35a veteran to be featured in a future episode, log onto our website, OperationHealingHeroes.org
20:41and click on the nominate button.
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