Meaghan Smith wrote -
Team Michael Hogan Smith is a group of LCPL Michael Hogan Smith’s friends and family dedicated to raising awareness for the great services of the Run to Home Base Program.
We run in Mike’s honor -- a proud tracker, serving two tours of duty in Iraq. He didn’t share a lot, but it’s fair to say he saw some heavy stuff.
Despite that, Mike seemed solid. He proactively went to get treatment at the VA, where he’d sometimes wait for hours until the doctor could meet with him. He was pursuing a career in social work so he could help other veterans with their transition. He helped his fellow Marines when they were on the brink and battling their own suicidal thoughts.
There were a lot of things going on in his life that increased his level of stress, which caused us concern. He had a shorter temper and his memory was spotty. He had a decreased appetite. But he’d also just gotten back from war, and we wanted to give him space to readjust to life at home on his own timeline. We were trying to be understanding and to show empathy for experiences we would never share.
He assured us, constantly, that he was fine.
But on Oct. 8, 2010, my mother called to tell me he was gone.
If we knew then what we knew now, the Run to Home Base Program would have been one of my first calls. To help Mike, of course, but also to help our family members so we could all work through things together.
By supporting our fundraiser, you’re helping military families get the support they need to keep their lives on track and continue to grow. Please help us provide support so no more families and friends have to go through the grief we’ve all experienced.
