This week, countless Americans, regardless of their political beliefs, watched in shock as news reports emerged about a devastating bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Each new headline revealed a rising death toll of American service members involved in the evacuation efforts following the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s resurgence. It started with three lives lost, then four, and quickly escalated to a tragic total of at least thirteen American military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice. Additionally, ninety Afghan citizens lost their lives, and many more were injured. The horror of the situation is beyond comprehension.
Thirteen American families are now facing the heart-wrenching task of bidding farewell to their loved ones. Thirteen knocks on doors delivered by uniformed officers with the somber duty of sharing devastating news. Thirteen flag-draped caskets bearing the remains of the brave. Thirteen funerals. Thirteen stories abruptly halted long before their natural conclusions. It is an unbearable tragedy.
No one grasps the immense burden of such a loss better than Sarah Thompson, widow of Army Staff Sergeant Mark Thompson.
When Sarah saw the shiny SUV parked in her driveway on that January morning in 2020, her first thought was, “Oh my, Mark got me a gift!” Her husband, Army Staff Sergeant Mark Thompson, was just two months away from completing his deployment to Afghanistan. They had planned to replace her car upon his return, so Sarah’s mind raced with possibilities, wondering if Mark had pulled off a last-minute Christmas miracle.
With her three-year-old daughter in tow, she dashed down the stairs. But as she peered through the glass front door and spotted two uniformed soldiers, the reality hit her hard. The pieces fell into place. She had spoken to Mark the night before, but hadn’t heard from him since. It was unusual but not unheard of for him to be caught up in a mission. She hadn’t been worried.
That knock on the door could only mean one thing.
“My heart sank. In that instant, I knew it wasn’t a new car waiting for me. I just knew,” Sarah recalls.
Her daughter, unaware of the significance of their visitors, excitedly shouted, “Mommy, Mommy! Open the door! Daddy’s home!”
But Mark Thompson would never walk through that door again. During his last mission, his vehicle was the first in a convoy that encountered an IED while on patrol. He and the driver were killed, and two others were gravely injured. Staff Sergeant Mark Thompson was just 29 years old.
The military transported Mark’s body home, and his family was finally able to lay him to rest just over a week after his death. With Mark in his eternal resting place, Sarah became a widow in her twenties, and her three young children would now face life without their hero.
A Love Story
The love story between the Thompsons was a whirlwind romance worthy of a fairy tale.
For Mark, it was love at first sight, while Sarah took a bit longer to come around. As she recounts their tale, Sarah often switches between past and present tense when speaking of Mark, reflecting the depth of their bond and her ongoing connection to him.
In 2014, Sarah was working as a waitress in Texas, near where Mark was stationed at Fort Hood. On the eve of his 25th birthday, he came into her restaurant. While Sarah was used to groups of rowdy military friends celebrating, Mark stood out. He ordered drinks, engaged in lighthearted conversation, and made her laugh.
“Mark was quite short, around 5’6”, and I’m 5’7”, so he wasn’t my type at first,” Sarah chuckles. “He was aware of this, and we joked about it constantly.”
Despite his stature, “he had a personality that made him feel like he was 7 feet tall,” Sarah shares with a warm laugh, recalling how Mark’s charisma drew her in. Despite their connection, she initially resisted giving him her number.
“He came in every day for the next thirteen days and sat in my section. He was persistent,” she remembers.
Eventually, Mark’s determination paid off, leading to a casual ice cream date. On that first outing, Mark declared that he knew Sarah was the one. Despite her attempts to dismiss it, deep down, she felt the same.
They married just a month later. The Army soon transferred the Thompsons to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where they rapidly started their family.
Their family grew quickly, welcoming a daughter in October 2016 and another in late September 2017. “Our daughters are just 51 weeks apart,” Sarah notes. “Irish twins.”
After their second child, Sarah and Mark decided they wanted more kids. Mark was hoping for a son, and they began trying immediately.
Tragically, Sarah suffered a miscarriage on her birthday in 2018. “Mark was incredibly supportive throughout. We both felt the deep loss together; he was absolutely heartbroken,” she recalls.
However, their dream of having a son was realized when Sarah gave birth to their son, Mark Jr., in May 2019, while Mark was away for deployment training. Mark returned home for just eight days before heading out for his final deployment in early July 2020.
Operation Kid Comfort
While Mark was deployed, Sarah discovered Operation Kid Comfort, an initiative by the Armed Services YMCA aimed at supporting the children of deployed service members.
According to their website, “Operation Kid Comfort provides quilts and pillows to military children of deployed service members. Volunteers lovingly create custom photo-transfer quilts and pillows to help children cope with the stress of separation from a parent during deployment.”
“I had no idea about Operation Kid Comfort,” Sarah admits. Despite being surrounded by military families, she had never heard of this organization that could offer her children comfort during their father’s absence.
She stumbled upon the organization on Pinterest and quickly reached out. They responded right away, explaining that all she needed to do was send photos of Mark and the kids, and they would create the quilts at no cost.
“Just two days after Mark’s passing, I received the call that the quilts were ready,” Sarah sighs. “They still use them today. Those quilts are a source of comfort for my children because they’re covered in pictures of their dad.”
The significance of these quilts inspired Sarah to connect with the organizers of Operation Kid Comfort to see how she could contribute. She is committed to sharing Mark’s story and raising awareness about the invaluable support this group provides to military families.
Sarah takes great pride in sharing Mark’s legacy—the essence of him that lives on through their three beautiful children.
“I want people to know that healing from this trauma is possible. I may never feel whole again, but I wake up each day determined to be the best mother I can be for my kids because they deserve it. They are living testaments to the love Mark and I shared, and I owe it to him to strive to be the best version of myself for them,” she asserts.
If you would like to support military families like the Thompsons, consider partnering with Operation Kid Comfort by donating to the ASYMCA or inquiring about volunteer opportunities in your area.
Summary
Sarah Thompson, a military widow, reflects on her life after losing her husband, Army Staff Sergeant Mark Thompson, in a bombing in Afghanistan. Their love story blossomed quickly, leading to a family that grew rapidly. After discovering Operation Kid Comfort, Sarah found comfort for her children through handmade quilts featuring their father. She shares Mark’s legacy through her children and encourages others to support military families in similar situations.
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