Beth Ford Roth

The mother of fallen Twentynine Palms Marine Lance Cpl. Jason Barfield got in touch with me a few months ago to let me know her son was to be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with Combat Valor on March 7, 2013 - what would've been Jason's 24th birthday. Jason's story has stayed with me because of what he did before he lost his life, planning a beautiful Christmas surprise for his family. This post was originally published October 26, 2011.

This post honoring a fallen service member is special because it was primarily written by the father of Matthew Bergman, a 21-year-old Sailor who went missing from the USS Boxer and was presumed lost at sea. Originally published August 1, 2011.

After I wrote a post about an internet rumor that troops in Afghanistan were no longer getting hot breakfasts, the soldiers themselves began to write Home Post with their personal experiences. Originally posted January 15, 2013.

Photographs taken of military moms breastfeeding their babies in uniform stirred up quite the controversy when they went viral on the internet last year. It seemed everyone had something to say about the matter - women and men, military and civilians. Originally posted on May 30, 2012.

Gabe was a retired military working dog and the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award winner. When he passed away earlier this year, it devastated not only his owner, but thousands of dog lovers who'd gotten to know Gabe through his Facebook page. This post originally ran February 13, 2013.

This story needs very little introduction, because the photograph accompanying it speaks for itself. I will say that this story touched the hearts of more than 125,000 Home Post readers, who shared it on Facebook more than 11,000 times. It captured the attention of major news outlets like Fox News, the New York Times, and Good Morning America. And all because of the love a dog had for his heroic owner - a love that survived death. This post originally ran August 23rd, 2011.