A Military Mother Remembers Her Son Who Died By Suicide
Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen grew up in a military family, and followed the family tradition when he enlisted during his early 20s. He served for three years, including a deployment to Iraq with the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
After returning stateside, he lived with his wife and their two sons while stationed in Washington. Two years later — on August 2, 2012 — he died by suicide. That year saw the highest rate of active-duty military suicides ever recorded — more soldiers died from suicide than combat.
His mother, Cathy Sprigg, sat down with StoryCorps in Tampa, Florida to remember him.
Top photo: Cathy Sprigg with her son, Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen, at Tampa International Airport in 2010. Allen was headed back to Iraq after being on leave for the birth of his son. Courtesy of Cathy Sprigg.
Bottom photo: Cathy Sprigg and her son, Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen, dancing at his wedding in 2009. Courtesy of Cathy Sprigg.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or just needs someone to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Originally aired May 26, 2018, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. It was rebroadcast on May 28, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“We Mesh Together Like One”: A Miami Love Story
In 1971 George Ju was running a Chinese restaurant in Miami, Florida. George was born in China and immigrated to the United States at the age of 10. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he settled in Miami, and this is where he met Angela Rivas.
One night, while attending her friend’s engagement party, Angela met George, who was cooking for the event. George was immediately smitten, and there began their journey of love and laughter.
Angela Ju and George Ju in Los Angeles, California Chinatown, in 1988. Courtesy of MJ Moneymaker.
George and Angela Ju came to StoryCorps, nearly 50 years later, to talk about falling in love and staying in love.
Top Photo: Angela Ju and George Ju at their StoryCorps interview in Spring Hill, Florida on October 21, 2018. By Morgan Feigal-Stickles for StoryCorps.
Originally aired March 19, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘We’re Like A Lifeline’: Postal Workers Fight Fear To Work In A Pandemic
When Evette Jourdain was struggling to get back on her feet, landing a job as a postal worker in Palm Beach, Florida seemed like a blessing. Now the job carries with it risks she never imagined.
Evette and friend and fellow mail carrier Craig Boddie had a remote conversation using StoryCorps Connect, to talk about what it means for them, personally and professionally, to do their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally aired May 15, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top photo: Craig Boddie and Evette Jourdain in Palm Beach, FL. Courtesy of Craig Boddie and Evette Jourdain for StoryCorps.
By Age 85, She’d Given 23 Gallons Of Blood: ‘Because I Can’
Lillian Bloodworth, 92, has donated 23 gallons of blood over nearly five decades, starting in the 1960s. “Bloodworth” really is her last name, though donors would often ask her if it was a gimmick for the blood bank.
She came to StoryCorps in Florida with her husband, John Bloodworth, to remember a life spent giving back.
Photo: Lillian Bloodworth and her husband, John Bloodworth, at their home in Gulf Breeze, FL, on Thanksgiving Day, 2016. Photo courtesy of the Bloodworth family.
Originally aired March 27th, 2020 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘You Were Walking Rage’: Reclaiming A Broken Brotherhood
Growing up in a troubled home in Florida, the fights between Derrick Storms and his younger brother Raymond were legendary. “There’s still probably a hole where you threw me through the wall, right by the TV, and Dad never fixed years later,” Raymond said to Derrick at StoryCorps in New York.
They would end up taking completely different paths: Derrick joined the military right out of high school, and Raymond sang opera professionally and practiced reiki. At StoryCorps, they talked about how they reclaimed their brotherhood.
Originally aired January 31st, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top Photo: Raymond Storms and Derrick Storms at their StoryCorps interview in New York on January 10, 2020. By Rochelle Kwan for StoryCorps.
Middle Photo: Raymond and Derrick Storms, with their mother, older sister Gail and younger sister Maryanne. Miami, FL, approximately 1986. Photo courtesy of the Storms family.
‘It’s Such A Gift Of A Job’: Nurses Reflect On Their Work In The Intensive Care Unit
Kristin Sollars and Marci Ebberts are nurses at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. They worked side by side in the intensive care unit for years and grew so close they’ve come to call themselves “work wives.”
Kristin and Marci sat down at StoryCorps to reflect on how their work is more than just a job.
Top Photo: Kristin Sollars and Marci Ebbers at their StoryCorps interview in Orlando, FL on May 21, 2019. By Emilyn Sosa for StoryCorps.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Originally aired August 30, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘We Don’t Talk About it Much’: Remembering the 241 U.S. Service Members Lost During the Beirut Bombing of 1983
James Edward Brown is one of the survivors of the Beirut Bombing.
On October 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members were killed in the terrorist attack on Marine barracks in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. It was the largest single-day loss of life for the Marines since World War II, and the deadliest terror attack on American citizens prior to September 11, 2001.
Navy hospital corpsman Brown was 200 yards away from the barracks when the bomb detonated.
He came to StoryCorps in Pensacola with his friend and fellow Beirut veteran, Mike Cline, to remember the day of the attack.
In 2018, on the 35th anniversary of the bombing, Ed Brown walked 24.1 miles per day for a month to remember the 241 service members lost in the bombing.
Top photo: Rescuers probe the wreckage of the U.S. Marine command, Monday, Oct. 24, 1983 in a Beirut building that was destroyed by a terrorist bomb. AP Photo/Zouki.
Middle photo: Mike Cline and James Edward Brown pose at their StoryCorps interview on April 30, 2019 in Pensacola, FL. By Joseph Vincenza/WUWF.
Bottom photo: James Edward Brown is photographed during his 540-mile trek from Jacksonville, FL to Jacksonville, NC in October 2018. On his march, Ed walked 24.1 miles per day to honor the 241 soldiers killed in the bombing. Courtesy James Edward Brown.
Originally aired May 24, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Remembering DJ Simmonds, Officer Injured During Capture of Boston Marathon Bombers
On April 15, 2013, two explosives placed near the finish line of the Boston Marathon detonated within seconds of each other, killing three people and injuring over two hundred others.
In the days following the attack, a massive manhunt took place. Four days later, police confronted the bombers on a suburban street in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts.
Boston police officer D.J. Simmonds was one of the officers who arrived on the scene. He was injured by a homemade bomb the Tsarnaev brothers threw at police.
Simmonds’ injuries led to his death almost a year later.
At StoryCorps, his parents, Roxanne and Dennis Simmonds, sat down to remember their son.
Middle photo: D.J. Simmonds. Credit: Boston Police Department, via the Associated Press.
Bottom photo: from left to right, Dennis, Nicole, Roxanne, and D.J. Simmonds. Courtesy of the Simmonds family.
Originally aired April 13, 2018, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Brothers Living with Autism on Navigating Through Work and Life
Russell Wadsworth, 28, and his brother Remmick, 27, have been inseparable their entire lives.
They both have autism, and as kids, they had trouble with social interactions. But being just a year apart meant that they always had one another to lean on.
Including today, as they navigate the working world as two men in their twenties. At StoryCorps, Remmick talked about their experiences working together in a coffee shop.
Top photo: Russell Wadworth (L) and his younger brother, Remmick, in Temple Terrace, FL.
Middle photo: Remmick Wadsworth (L) and his older brother, Russell, c. 1994.
Originally aired April 5, 2018, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Emily Addison
On June 12, 2016 a lone gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Among those killed was Deonka Drayton. She was 32.
Deonka left behind a young son and her co-parent, Emily Addison. At StoryCorps, Emily sat down to remember her.
Originally aired June 9, 2017, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
There were hundreds of people at Pulse the night of the shooting, and some were able to escape in time. Christopher Hansen is among those who survived that night. It was the first time he’d ever visited Pulse, having just recently moved to Orlando. He came to StoryCorps to remember what happened that night.
These interviews were recorded in partnership with WMFE and the Family Equality Council. In March, StoryCorps recorded 14 conversations in Orlando, Florida about the Pulse nightclub shooting and the lives that have been deeply affected by the tragedy. The project welcomed survivors of the shooting, friends and family members of lost loved ones, and community organizations who have been vital in the aftermath to record their experiences, and focused on capturing stories from the LGBTQ community. In addition, WMFE used the StoryCorps app to collect stories from the broader Orlando community, in a project they called Taking Your Pulse.
Top photo: Deonka Drayton with her son, Diyari. (Photo courtesy Emily Addison)