Seacoastonline.com; Nov 16, 2017 —
KENNEBUNK — On Christmas Day in 2012 Bob Haskell and his wife, Suzanne Russell received a phone call no parent ever wants. They learned that Russell’s 20-year-old son Derek Russell, a member of the United States Coast Guard had been killed in a tragic accident in Kodiak Alaska.
Through their grief and loss, Haskell, manager of the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Kennebunk, and his wife found a way to honor Derek, who had a love of the outdoors, by getting involved with the Summit Project.
The Summit Project is a living memorial that ensures that Maine service members who have died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001 are not forgotten. Summit Project volunteers carry memorial stones inscribed with the fallen soldiers name on tribute hikes, and tell the story of the soldier as a way of keeping their memory alive.
Haskell brought a selection of Summit Project stones to display at the Restore this month, and the response from visitors has been profound, he said.
“People have been very moved by this,” he said, gesturing to the glass display showcasing 18 etched stones and a placard telling the story of each soldier.
Haskell said each stone is selected by the family from a place that’s special and significant to them. Suzanne Russell selected her son’s stone from Mechanic Falls, a place that had special meaning to the family. One stone, Haskell said, came from the foundation of the family’s home, which burned just days after their soldier’s death.
“It’s been a pure honor for me to be able to do this, ” Haskell said.
‘This stuff never goes away’
Haskell and Suzanne Russell have found support and comfort in their involvement with the Summit Project.
“This stuff never goes away,” Russell said referring to the family’s grief. “My wife summed it up in a nutshell. She said ’I now know that I’m not the only one who has to tell Derek’s story.”
On Saturday, Nov. 18 those stories will be told in Kennebunk during a Summit Project Honor Stones Walk from the Kennebunk Free Library down Main Street to the Habitat for Humanity Restore at 4 Industrial Drive.
The walk will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the Patriot Riders of Maine will join in.
Haskell is an ambassador for the program, speaking around the state about the Summit Project and what it means to the families of the fallen veterans. Volunteers have carried rocks up Mt. Katahdin, Cadillac Mountain and many others. Each volunteer digs into the soldier’s life and learns how they lived their lives. They write a letter to the family after each hike, telling them how their soldier was honored.
Haskell has found purpose and peace in doing something active to keep the memory of the fallen Maine soldiers, including his stepson, alive through the Summit Project.
“It’s a lot of people remembering the lives of those who have given us freedom,” Haskell said. “We’ve said I wish we didn’t have to do this, but thankfully we have an outlet where we can honor all of these young people.”
