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SOS: Serving Our Servicemembers PO Box 4680, Tulsa, OK 74159 info@sos-coffeebunker.com 918.637.3878 www.sos-coffeebunker.com
 Mary Ligon, founder of Coffee Bunker, speaks Saturday about losing her son, a former soldier, to suicide. BRANDI SIMONS / For the Tulsa World
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Dear Steve,
Thanks very much for your email. I have looked over your website and appreciate very much what you are doing. I assume as you read our article which appeared in Tulsa World, that you know we lost our older son Daniel Ligon, USMC, to suicide after two deployments to Iraq and specifically engaged in the heavy combat in both major battles in and around that powder keg of insurgents, the city of Fallujah.
Daniel was severely “morally injured,” suffered PTSD, lost his wife who left him, and went into such a deep despair that he was nearly completely unreachable. I know personally what is called “secondary PTSD” from living with him after his wife left him. Then of course my own primary PTSD issues to this day, 5-1/2 yrs after Daniel’s death, due to the trauma of losing him, especially to suicide. We have our youngest son as well in the Marines, and watching him and the oldest, a sister, suffer so incredibly inconsolably, is a heart wrench unimaginable to those not passing through similar difficulties.
But I personally know far too many husbands, sons, brothers, grandsons (and the equivalent as well on the female side of things) who have died “military suicides.” Recently here in Tulsa, a 13-yr-old son of an Army dad hanged himself the same day his father left home for yet one more of multiples tours to Afghanistan.
Saying all this, Steve, to say “go for it with all your heart.” Thank you for all you are doing. Thank you for thinking of a Coffee Bunker in your area. You are right, it can be a fairly simple operation to start up, then you can grow as far as funding and volunteers will take you.
If we can be of any assistance, feel free to call me at 918.637.7773.
Thanks Steve and God bless you and your endeavors for our troops and their loved ones,
Mary Ligon
Quoting “Stephen H. Sparks” stephen114@centurytel.net:
Dear Mary,
It is our goal to open the Neighbors for Kids facility appropriately for
veterans to do our part as a local non-profit. We have a 7600 sf facility in
Depoe Bay, Oregon, 12 miles south of Lincoln City and 12 miles north of Newport.
We currently open up our facility and half gym area with a 3on3 basketball
court to the Coast Guard. There is no reason why we can’t become more engaged
by starting a “Coffee Bunker” or other program(s) that could be reasonably
supported during non-school hours am or pm. Our signature after-school program
runs from 3p-630p daily. We offer other programs as well to K-12, but are
considering adult programs for the future i.e., information technology and entrepreneurship.
Let me know your thoughts and ideas. You can look at the Neighbors for Kids website for more
details. I also write a blog in support of military children and families…
All the best,
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story
