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[MUSIC PLAYING]
I joined the Air Force back in 1986.
Several deployments, Operation Enduring Freedom, multiple
operations across the globe.
I retired and returned here to the Carolinas where I settled
down into what I thought would have been a slow, uneventful
retirement, until 16 days later, my home
was hit by a tornado.
Well, me and John were upstairs.
We were watching a movie called Despicable Me.
It was on our favorite part.
Just all of a sudden, it got really quiet.
So I stood up.
And I just thought to myself, something's
getting ready to happen.
So I immediately called my kids downstairs.
I said, kids come downstairs now.
And I heard my wife say, kids, come downstairs now.
About two seconds after that, I heard her started screaming.
And I walked out of the room and said, why are you
screaming like this.
Daddy was thinking why is mommy screaming.
And he said why are you screaming.
And before I knew it, all I saw was debris.
I heard a loud boom as if a bomb had went off.
It was a big boom.
And immediately, my son came darting around the corner.
And he ran and grabbed him.
And I didn't see him for a few seconds.
As he ran into my arms and I grabbed him, it lifted me and
him up, spun me around, and slammed me on my back, and
then just sent me darting.
My wife and daughter, I had no idea where they were.
And the next thing I know, I see them come sliding through
what appeared like a triangle, and then ended up
right into my arm.
And I grabbed them and held all three of them.
And he put his arm around us and said, keep your head down.
As I grabbed all three of them, I heard a sucking sound.
This joop.
And everything stopped.
And then immediate silence.
Everyone was silent.
And then he just grabbed me--
You mean everything was silent.
Yeah.
It was the eeriest silence I've ever heard in my life.
When I walked out the side door, I
immediately saw folks coming.
It appeared as the entire neighborhood was coming
towards my house.
Is everybody OK?
Is everybody OK?
And then I heard somebody behind me said, are you OK.
That's when I realized I had no back, no rear to the house.
It was gone.
And so everybody in the neighborhood came here.
And they thought it was over.
There was no way anybody could have survived.
Still can't believe it that it actually happened, and that I
received my personal warning to get the kids downstairs.
We were in the right place at the right time in the only
portion of the house that remained standing.
That used to be our master bathroom.
I have my immediate family.
And USAA is my extended family.
And just as how this event was punctuated with me embracing
my entire family, that is precisely what USAA have done
for me and my family.
They embraced us.
They looked at us as people.
And they placed themselves in our shoe.
They did.
And they sat.
They spoke.
They offered advice.
They offered good counsel.
They offered condolences.
And I will tell you, if you want to talk about a family
environment, USAA is the closest
thing to a first cousin.
Well, thank you again, Dawn.
Sure.
Between you and our car guy, Mark--
Good.
Hugs.
It's amazing.
From one family to another, right?
Certainly does feel like a community.
He really had the right kind of outlook.
And it was very inspiring.
I think we shouldn't get wrapped up in all of the daily
trials of life.
Just be thankful that we are alive.
And I'm very thankful that me and my family were able to
walk out of this and live through it.
And we can tell our story.
We can tell our story.