From Joy:

It felt like an eternity as we waited for any update about Seth. The nights were endless with grief. We tried during the day to pack his apartment, take care of legal matters and just wait. We were taken care of as far as a place to stay and escorts when needed.

Our family stood ready to pray or talk or cry along with us and preparing for Seth’s return home.The many FaceTime calls planning and preparing. I honestly don’t know how we made it through each day. Our determination to bring Seth home was the only thing we could focus on. With no updates from the Army, we began contacting our local government officials who may have to assist in getting him home. We were told there was no time frame, we just had to wait. We were prepared to do what we needed to to get him home. He would come home with us.

We were encouraged by our family and some of Seth’s closest friends in Alaska to go see some of the places that he visited. Mike needed a haircut and the girls decided to go for a mani/pedi. We did try and relax for a few minutes, but it quickly turned out to be the worst idea as people out everywhere we went were talking of the attack. It was on the news, it was in papers. People not having any idea who we were, having conversations in front of us. We barely made it through the ordeal and was very hesitant to venture out for anything else.

We did eventually go see a few places Seth had enjoyed. We drove his truck to Alyeska ski resort where he had snowboarded previously with friends. Friends of his joined us for the day. It helped our spirits to be outside.

This is where Mike took the picture of the ski lift with the silhouette in the mountain beauty. The girls carved Seth’s initials on the deck railing. We took photos of us throwing snow and trying not to fall. Photos without our boy, that still breaks my heart to look at. Friends invited us over to their homes and tried to cheer us up.Ordered the same pizzas Seth had ordered the last time he was over for dinner with them. They even convinced us to try the famous reindeer dogs and other favorite places to eat. The beauty of Alaska was hard not to look at and if we had just been there for a visit with Seth, it would have been enjoyable.

As we wait to make our flight home with Seth, there were many phone calls and plans being made to honor Seth the way he deserved. So many friends and family made sure every detail would be in place.

While in Alaska we grew to love Seth’s friends. Friends that had trusted him to move in with them. Friends that helped him carry furniture up 3 flights of stairs. Friends that trusted Seth for advice and filled in the gaps between being back home on leave. Seth had just made these friends since being stationed at JBER in July of 2021.

He had no idea that as he picked his friends that they would become family.