Ray Bellamy knew the hardest part of deployment was not always the one wearing the uniform.
After two tours, Sgt. Bellamy came home to Tucson and saw the kids on base whose parents were still overseas — carrying a weight no child should have to carry alone.
So he started showing up. A mentorship program that began with weekend fishing trips and homework help now pairs dozens of military kids with veterans who understand exactly what the empty chair at dinner feels like.
"They held it down while we were gone," he says of the families. "The least I can do is hold it down for their kids." His daughter nominated him. He had no idea.