Power of Good

Angels of America's Fallen N PowerofGood.com | Summer 2014 nine-yeAr-old Khloe brAdField of Phenix City jumps triumphantly into the deep end of the pool to the cheers of her mother, Crystin, and her swim coach. For Khloe, the milestone of learning to swim is more than a rite of passage. It's a way for her to connect with a father she has never met. In 2004, Crystin and Hoby Bradfield found out they were pregnant with their daughter shortly before he deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army. He was killed in the line of duty in 2005, a few short months before Khloe was born that summer. Like many children of fallen soldiers, Khloe has lived her life with a single parent. That often creates challenges for child and parent. With Khloe, who often visits her grandparents in Florida, that meant needing to learn to swim despite her fear, Crystin realized. It is through Angels of America's Fallen, an organization that supports hundreds of children across the country, that Khloe was able not only to enroll in swim lessons, but overcome her fear and gain a newfound confidence. "She just connected with her swim teacher instantly and by the third lesson she was jumping into the pool. It's even more special to her because her father was on the swim team when he was growing up," Bradfield says. Founded in 2012 by Joe Lewis and his wife, Shelli, Angels of America's Fallen supports children of fallen soldiers and first responders. Over the course of Lewis' military career, the Lewises became all too familiar with the tragedy of children losing a parent and the difficult journey of growing up without that parent. Lewis, a native of Geneva, joined the Army National Guard and attended Troy University, where he met Shelli, a native of Childersburg. He continued his career as a pilot in active duty with the Marines for 11 years. Due to a back injury, he became a flight instructor and trained pilots in all areas of the armed forces. After 9/11, Lewis joined the Air National Guard full time until his retirement. Group founded by Alabama natives offers support to children of fallen military and first responders. STORy By AllISOn weSTlAKe 11 ANGELS continued on page 12 File photo provided by Joe Lewis. Khloe Bradfield, 9, smiles after one of her swimming lessons provided by Angels of America's Fallen.

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