HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports there were 6,400 veterans who died by suicide in 2022. That’s lower than in 12 of 14 previous years, but it’s three more than in 2021.
To help deal with the issue... Read More
By Rod Moore
When I deployed to Iraq in 2007, I was prepared to give my life for my country. The same was true when I deployed again in 2009 as a Navy engineer chief responsible for the multi-billion dollar Iraqi reconstruction effort.
I never... Read More
By Jason Haag
The first trip I ever made with my service dog, Axel, was to Breckenridge, Colorado in winter. I’d accepted an invitation for a ski spectacular, one of many outdoor events put on by organizations around the country for wounded and... Read More
It's the story of a service dog saving a veteran. Axel's Story is a children's book about the service dog of Spotsylvania-based Leashes of Valor founder Jason Haag. Axel passed away in 2023. But service dog non-profit Leashes of Valor has named its... Read More
By Chris Bowers
Editor's note: This blog was updated on Oct. 16, 2024.
The call came from our friend, Margarida, a Spotsylvania Sheriff’s deputy and former Marine. Our county’s oldest living veteran, 104-year-old Fred Moufang, had begun... Read More
It’s hard for me to put into words what it means to see Axel’s story in print (ironic as that may be).
I’ve always thought the story of the service dog who saved my life would make an inspiring book. A German shepherd rescued from an... Read More
By Karen Meadows
My eyes landed on the yellow lab lounging next to the checkout counter at the local feed store I regularly visited.
Weeks before, on a brilliant September morning, I’d been working on our family farm when someone flipped on the... Read More
Our service dog candidates have been training hard here at Leashes of Valor this summer! They've attended golf tournaments, community meet-and-greets, and fundraisers. And when the weather got hot, our trainers took them indoors: They practiced... Read More
By Elizabeth Haag
It was supposed to be a celebration dinner.
My 22-year-old husband was home from war after six excruciating months during which we’d had virtually no contact.
We headed to a restaurant with friends—fellow Marines and their... Read More
By Mike Betts
Memorial Day used to be just another holiday. Then I served in the U.S. Marine Corps. The change wasn’t overnight. But as another Memorial Day approaches, I find myself seeking solitude and personal challenges—striving to do... Read More
