Hey there Brad in Salem, thank you for sharing today's HN story with us!
A 41-year-old college senior and mother of three named Tiffany Eckert will be walking the stage at Bowling Green State University in April after making a promise to her husband, who was killed in Iraq 18 years ago.
The couple, who met in September 2002, knew "instantly" they were going to get married, Tiffany said.
During the first deployment, her husband was unable to come home when their daughter, Marlee, was born, but he was finally able to come home to see her for the first time when she was 11 months old.
During his second deployment, Andy was able to come home and witness his son's birth, in 2005. But then, just months later, the proud dad and serviceman was killed on Mother's Day when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee.
But the night before he died, Andy called his wife and they discussed many things, but for her, the most memorable thing was that he asked her to promise him that she would get an education, no matter what and no matter how long it took.
Tiffany believes Andy’s been walking alongside her and the kids this entire time and she knows he always will be.