A letter to Fisher House Foundation from Tarah McLaughlin
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n January of 2020, Tarah McLaughlin’s husband, Staff Sgt. Ian P. McLaughlin, was killed when his vehicle struck an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Ian was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, so his wife and three children lived at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Tarah immediately left for Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of remains. She recently contacted Fisher House Foundation to share her experience while staying at the Dover Fisher House for Families of the Fallen. My name is Tarah McLaughlin and I’m the widow of Staff Sgt. Ian Paul McLaughlin who was killed in Afghanistan on Jan. 11, 2020. At the time, I had a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 9-monthold baby. Within hours, our life changed and we were being pulled in a million directions. I stayed at the Fisher House at Dover Air Force Base, and the experience and the individuals there were nothing short of amazing in such a difficult time. As you can imagine, traveling with three children for the first time and the anxiety and the grief of losing my husband took a toll on my mental state. We traveled from Fort Bragg to Dover, an allaround trip that took about nine hours to complete. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we arrived at the Fisher House at Dover. My children were cranky, off their schedule, and confused on what was going on, but the Fisher House felt like a safe place for us. I not only forgot to pack a toothbrush and really anything for myself, but I forgot basic things for my children. When I walked into our room, there were toys ready for my children, a Pack ‘n Play filled with blankets for my infant, and an array of baby bathtubs, soaps, towels, potty seats, and so much more. If I’m being 100% honest in that moment, I bawled my eyes out because of how embarrassed I was for forgetting these basic things and how bad of a mom I felt at that moment. Within seconds of settling into our room, it was the first time since losing my husband that I felt safe and secure. The accommodations and the people at the Fisher House made me feel at home in probably one of the darkest times of my life. Our stay was extended due to constant malfunctions with the aircraft bringing my husband home, so we were there longer than we expected, but there was always enough food and someone there trying to make our lives a little bit easier. I wasn’t eating, but my children's hunger didn’t stop, nor did their need to get some energy out and there were plenty of people and food to accommodate them during those days. There isn’t much that I remember in those days, but I do remember how safe the Fisher House made my family feel and how much of a home away from home it really was. In lieu of flowers, I asked guests who wanted to send flowers to Ian’s funeral to donate to Fisher House Foundation because of how much they helped my family during this time. I will forever be thankful for this Foundation. Thank you!
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THE PATRIOT • VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 2 • 2021
