Giffird's Hope
  • Home
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  • Hard Work
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  • Treasure Hunting
  • Coffee Mugs and Tea
  • Planning for Success
  • Stockyard Memories
  • Join the Military, Kid
  • The Billboard
  • The Marine Corps
  • You're In Hawaii
  • Angel Investor
  • Duty-Free Shopping
  • Hawaii's Tourism
  • Liberty House
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  • Giffird's Dream
  • The Heritage Trail
  • The Message Light
  • Everything was Gone
  • The Park Bench
  • Guardian Security
  • J.C. Penney
  • Why Are You Homeless?
  • The Unicorn
  • Helping Those in Need
  • Hope Street
  • Apartment No. 1
  • Restoring Hope
  • Knock on the Door
  • Welcome Home
  • You're An Eagle
  • The Highway Patrol
  • The Letter
  • Home
  • In Search of Hope
  • The Spirit of Giving
  • The Unknown
  • Hard Work
  • Another Man's Treasure
  • Treasure Hunting
  • Coffee Mugs and Tea
  • Planning for Success
  • Stockyard Memories
  • Join the Military, Kid
  • The Billboard
  • The Marine Corps
  • You're In Hawaii
  • Angel Investor
  • Duty-Free Shopping
  • Hawaii's Tourism
  • Liberty House
  • Great America
  • Giffird's Dream
  • The Heritage Trail
  • The Message Light
  • Everything was Gone
  • The Park Bench
  • Guardian Security
  • J.C. Penney
  • Why Are You Homeless?
  • The Unicorn
  • Helping Those in Need
  • Hope Street
  • Apartment No. 1
  • Restoring Hope
  • Knock on the Door
  • Welcome Home
  • You're An Eagle
  • The Highway Patrol
  • The Letter
Giffird's Hope
You’re in Hawaii

Giffird woke up in a hospital in severe pain, mentally confused and unable to remember the details of what had happened to him. He noticed that he couldn’t hear anything. A nurse sat down and began to exchange written notes with him.

She told him that he had arrived five days earlier in a coma after being medically evacuated from Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Giffird took the pen from the nurse and wrote, “Where am I?”  She smiled and handed him a note that read, “Aloha, you’re in Hawaii at the Tripler Army Medical Center. You’re safe here and we’re going to take good care of you. I’m Leilani, your nurse.”

Giffird had no memory of the events of the last few weeks and was completely unaware that over half of the Marines in his platoon were killed. While in the hospital, Giffird began to have nightmares and started to remember bits and pieces of his tragic ordeal—but he refused to discuss it with anyone.

After being released from the hospital, Giffird was transferred to Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor to begin the processing of his medical discharge from the Marine Corps. He was devastated at the thought of leaving the Marine Corps and had no idea what he was going to do with his life.
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