Gold Star Spouses Day

April 5 was Gold Star Spouses Day, a day we honor surviving loved ones of military members killed in the line of duty.  This recognition of the sacrifices made by military spouses is all at once a memorial for the fallen, a remembrance day for the survivors, and an appreciation for those who are sometimes in danger of being overlooked for their support and service to the country.

Continuing Service After Loss

We are honored to have Gold Star Wife, Teresa Taylor, on our Veterans Recovery Resources Advisory Board. Teresa is a source of inspiration to the military community. On February 28, 2012, her husband and three crewmembers of the H6535 lost their lives in a tragic training accident in Mobile Bay. Married for fourteen years to United States Coast Guard pilot, LCDR Dale Taylor, Teresa now carries on his legacy of service to our great nation. She writes, speaks publicly and volunteers. In 2014 she authored, Night Flight, a memoir detailing her husband’s military journey. Through her own experience with love, loss, hope and healing, she is a passionate advocate for mental and emotional wellness.

Encouraging Others

“As a military spouse, I do not know firsthand the terror of war, the brunt of battle nor the amount of bravery it takes to give one’s life. But as a Gold Star Wife, I do know firsthand the depths of loss, the brutality of depression and the amount of bravery needed to take the next breath. Survivors, though there are many kinds, share the common bond of trauma. However, surviving lies in not being defined by a particular trauma, but rather allowing others to help us define the trauma as a moment by which we determine to overcome,” Teresa explained.

At Veterans Recovery Resources, Teresa is ever willing to step into any volunteer role. She speaks at events to share her story, offers encouragement to others, supports event planning and provides valuable input to the VRR programming for other survivors. “Veterans Recovery Resources is meaningful to me because I know how critical just being heard, and therefore being helped, can be. Caregivers, survivors and family members are often those who give the most selflessly. They are also those who still need a source of replenishment, bearing and nurturing. VRR is unique in it’s mission to serve the Veteran community in its entirety.”

More About Teresa Taylor

Teresa holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She earned a master’s degree in theological studies from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. She currently resides in the Mobile, Alabama area where she raises her children and is active as a volunteer and speaker in the Gulf Coast Veteran community. Although she is a busy mother to two teen boys, she takes every opportunity to pass on to them the core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty by which their father lived and died.

Teresa can be heard each Thursday evening on Mobile’s 106.5FM Talk as she co-hosts Common Sense Town Hall radio.