A Young War Widow
When Taryn Davis became a war widow at the age of 21, she felt lost and alone. Married at 19, Davis lost her husband to a roadside bomb in Iraq on May 21st, 2007. She was a senior in college, and suddenly felt the course of her entire life shift due to unspeakable tragedy. Having moved back home to San Marcos, Texas after her husband, Corporal Michael Davis, was deployed to Iraq in late 2006, Davis was far from military bases and military communities. "I didn't have a connection to military wives," she told CNN in May 2011. After getting through the funeral and receiving $100,000 in military death benefits, Davis contacted the widow of one of the soldiers killed alongside her husband. She then used some of the money she had received from the military to buy video equipment, and set out across the country to find other women her age who are in her unique, yet age-old situation--bound by the tragedy of losing their husbands to war.
The American Widow Project
Taryn Davis wound up shooting a documentary consisting of poignant interviews with six different Iraq and Afghanistan war widows, all young. The film is titled The American Widow Project and is available on DVD through her organization's website. During the process of filming, Davis came up with the idea of starting a non-profit organization to connect to other young military widows, and to create a national network to share stories, comfort and hope. Thus, only four months after she became a military widow herself, Taryn Davis founded The American Widow Project. Over 750 war widows have joined in the four years since. The website exists as a portal for memories and for triumph over tragedy. A new generation of military widows gathers there to share stories of courtship, marriage and heartbreak, as well as to share tips for how to move on, and continue their husbands' legacies without neglecting their own. There are widows of all ages in the organization now, including some who lost their husbands in previous wars.
A New Generation of Military Widows
The step following the creation of the website was to organize "getaways," trips designed so that the members of the organization could meet in person. The war widows who bond through the American Widow Project go on regular skydiving trips, and they connected with the St. Bernard Project in St. Bernard parish in New Orleans to rebuild homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Getaways combine fun outdoor activities such as surfing and zip-lining as well as opportunities to perform public service and to give back. There are also "Inner Peace" getaways that involve activities such as yoga and meditation.
The non-profit is newly housed in a two-room office in downtown East Austin, Texas, and volunteers are welcomed. American military widows can reach other widows through a 24-hour hotline, 1-800-AWP-WIDOW, follow the Facebook and Twitter accounts, and sign up for newsletters and information on the official website, where donations are accepted.
Sources
American Widow Project. American Widow Project. Web. Summer 2011. .
Angley, Natalie. "Helping a New Generation of Military Widows." CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News. Cable News Network, 20 May 2011. Web. 12 Aug. 2011. .
Ferguson, Wes. "American Widow Project: Local Woman Connects Others with Similar Experiences." The Hays Free Press. The Hays Free Press, 15 June 2011. Web. Summer 2011. .
Hillard, Gloria. "'American Widow Project' Born From Grief." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts. National Public Radio, 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Aug. 2011. .
Sanchez, Elaine. "Military Widow Reaches Out to Survivors." Defense.gov. U.S. Department of Defense, 4 Aug. 2011. Web. Summer 2011. .
St. Bernard Project. St. Bernard Project. Web. Summer 2011. .
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