Fisher House Dedication

Today I attended a dedication ceremony for the Fisher House that was built on Dover Air Force Base. The house is a place where families of the fallen can stay without cost as they wait for the homecoming they never wanted to happen.

Many distinguished guests were in attendance. The Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff for the US Air Force, Chief of Chaplains for the US Air Force, Gold Star Moms & Wives, and Montel Williams to name a notable few. The ceremony was extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes many times, as they talked about the Fisher House and the role it will play here at Dover.

All other Fisher Houses, of which there are 49, are designed to house military families needing to be close to a loved one during hospitalization due to illness, disease, or injury. The Fisher House at Dover is the only one of its kind that is there to comfort families as they wait for the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. Truly, this place is unique due to the sacredness of its purpose. It will be ready for occupancy shortly after Thanksgiving, so I will have a chance to see it put to use before I head home.

Inside this home for the families of our fallen, there are many rooms and places to seek peace and comfort. There are 9 bedrooms, a large formal dining room, a formal living room area, a massive kitchen with every kind of appliance imaginable. There is a laundry facility and a sitting area with a huge flat screen television. Outside there are gardens and a labyrinth, which lead to a meditation pagoda for peaceful reflection and quiet solitude. A sidewalk eventually ends at the Center for the Families of the Fallen.

What was once just a parking lot and some grass surrounding the Center for the Families of the Fallen, has now been transformed into a beautiful campus for these families to find peace, comfort and rest, as they await the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. As Chairman Kenneth Fisher said, it was a gift long-overdue to the deserving. "We make a solemn vow to honor the gifts these heroes have left us," Fisher said. "There can be nothing more sacred than that."

If your interested in learning more about the Fisher House Foundation, you can go to their webpage: www.fisherhouse.org