It Had To Be A Hummer;


On February 18, 2007, I watched from the sofa in my living room, as two well decorated Army Notifiers approached my front door. Before I even answered their knock I started crying and shaking. My first words to them were "which one" I repeated this over and over. I'm sure they were confused as I kept imploring them for an answer. I then began yelling asking them "is it Nic or is it Kris?" The Notifiers asked if they could come inside and talk. By then my husband was beside me trying to figure out why I was so upset. It took him only a second to grasp the enormity of the situation, one of our boys had been killed. The two Army Notifiers, a Captain and a Chaplin, requested that I sit down. They then told me my Army Ranger son Kristofer Thomas had been killed in Afghanistan.

I begged them as I fell to the floor to tell me that they were not 100% sure of this casualty.
I tried in every possible way to come up with answers that challenged the truthfulness of their notification of Kristofer's death. They assured me that what they said was without doubt. They were very apologetic and asked if there was anything they could do for me. If so, please let them know. I begged them to bring my son home alive, though we all knew that was not an option.

I never really believed that I would be faced with this tragedy. I can also say that I knew from the moment I saw the Notifiers get out of their car what was coming. For, I had educated myself on the policy and procedure of such a situation. When my older son Nic was deployed to Iraq in 2005, I called the local Army Recruiter's Office "SFC Terry Phillips" almost daily with questions regarding his deployment. One of the things I learned was that if anything was to happen to Nic that I would be notified within hours in person by Army officials. This information never left my mind.

After being told of Kristofer's death, my days passed in a fog. Kristofer's body arrived home a week later. His funeral was held on February 28, 2007. The Army provided support and assistance with the details throughout this process. At this time I told my husband that the men and women who give their lives for our freedom must not be forgotten and that I would do whatever I could to keep their memories alive. That's when the idea of the Hummer presented itself.

The days turned into weeks and then months, I was convinced that the Army had lied to me and Kristofer would be coming home. I was nearly drowning in my own tears. It took until late July for reality of his death to sink in. I then understood that he would not be calling me or walking through our home again. Even then I believed it was still necessary to keep his room as he left it before going into the Army. I guess some things take a long time to heal, but at that point I knew I had to push myself forward. My family and friends gave me the little nudges that I needed.

In August of that year, I again mentioned the idea of a memorial Hummer to my husband. His response was "do what makes you happy." He knew this had become important to me. The following day we visited a local Hummer dealership. At that point I had many questions about the creation of a memorial Hummer that only a graphic artist could answer. Several months earlier I had received an email from someone who knew of an artist named Robert Powell of Airbrush Guy & Co. I emailed Robert my questions regarding my idea. Later that day, as my husband and I were visiting the cemetery to be with Kristofer, I received a phone call  from Victoria Powell, Robert's wife. We spoke for quite some time. She told me that Robert had read the story on Kristofer that I had sent and was deeply moved. He also told her "I have to paint this Hummer." She gave me information on their local dealership, Lander's Hummer in Benton, AR. At that point we didn't know, for vehicle emissions restrictions, if I could purchase one out of state, for I live in California. Before we concluded our conversation I knew Robert was the artist I wanted for the creation. The price for artistically painting the Hummer was never mentioned. When I inquired, Victoria made it clear that they would only accept the cost of the paint. They would be donating their time. This was unbelievable. I told them I could not accept their more than generous offer. I had planned to pay whatever I needed to get the job done, but they insisted I take it.

Later that day, I contacted Lander's Hummer Dealership in Benton, and spoke with Darrell Miller, the manager. I explained my situation and told him that I would be working with Robert Powell at Airbrush Guy & Co.. He was interested in my idea of a memorial Hummer and jumped right into the purchase details and finalized the deal for a 2007 Hummer H-2. As I gathered a scrapbook of images and information to send to Robert at Airbrush Guy & Co., I could feel Kristofer sharing in my excitement and joy. Darrell and his staff at Lander's Hummer did a phenomenal job coordinating with Robert to get the Hummer painted and detailed in five short months! I gave them full artistic freedom and remained in the dark regarding the progress.

My husband and I flew to Arkansas on December 21. At the airport we were welcomed and escorted to our hotel by the Army National Guard. At 6:30 that night we arrived at Lander's Hummer for a huge celebration. This lavish event was very well planned and organized; festivities included catered food and live music. There was a military presence as well as the media. Later that evening, the 2007 memorial Hummer H-2 was unveiled and I was presented with the keys. I can't begin to tell you how delightfully shocked I was at viewing this vehicle for the first time. Robert Powell did an amazing job painting the murals onto this moving memorial from the scrapbook of photos I sent him. My dream of honoring our fallen with a Hummer had became a reality.

The Hummer arrived at my home in Roseville, CA. on December 26 with an official unveiling on Saturday, December 29. There were many patriotic supporters there as well as the invited media. The welcome it received was overwhelming. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and other families who have lost a loved one fighting for the freedom our country stands for. I believe with the loss of my son in Afghanistan that it is my duty to keep the memory of him and the memory of other fallen troops alive. I dedicate this 2007 Memorial Hummer H-2 to all of the troops killed honoring our country.


Sincerely, Deborah Getz
Proud Gold Star Mom