Author: Leigh

Abigail G. Manning is a Keynote Speaker, Impactful Storyteller, and Change Maker with a big belief in the power of choice. At Create Awareness…Change Lives, Inc. Abigail works primarily with the military, veteran non-profits, and national security corporations. She also works closely with Special Operators Transition Foundation (SOTF) as a 1:1 coach with active duty Special Operators 1-2 years out from their military transition. Together, they create a vision of what each Operator wants for a happy and rewarding career and lifestyle as they move forward, translating their military experiences into civilian skill sets.

As a full-time, single parent of two young children, she worked to create a positive environment full of health and goodness, ending the cycle of negativity and hardships she grew up with. Abigail’s children both went on to become Marines.  When her daughter announced dreams of becoming a Marine, Abigail worked through her initial concerns and supported her efforts to secure a MOS of Military Police, her dream. Her mother’s support and encouragement motivated her through the tough training. She went on to join HMX-1, the Presidential Helicopter Squadron among only a handful of women protecting our Presidents. Abigail’s son, also a Marine, overcame early struggles with dyslexia, encouraged by her empowering positive self-beliefs and removal of hurtful words of others. After much hard work he became one of “The Few. The Proud.”  He is currently in Intelligence at MARFORCYBER in Washington, DC, preparing reports and giving briefings to the brass.

Abigail created Purple Threads curriculum by combining her personal life lessons, parenting journey, and education through her double major at Indiana University. This unique course addresses complex emotions like rejection, abandonment, and unworthiness while providing tools to prevent those emotions from limiting your choice to live, love, and thrive. 

The full definition of Purple Threads is “Limiting personal thoughts connected to past traumas that are physiologically tied to what we ThinkSayDo.” Her three-step program begins with a deeper level of self-awareness and assessment of limiting personal thoughts (Purple Threads). The second step empowers participants to develop healthy habits, a positive mindset, and a meaningful connection to others. The third and final step is life-long self-empowerment of “THINK SAY DO“ skills. This work has been shown to prevent the adverse spiral of stress, depression, addiction, abuse, PTS, and suicide.

The ultimate goal is Stronger individuals. Stronger families. Stronger organizations. Stronger country. Abigail received the honorary military call sign “Gator,” short for “Navigator,” in recognition of her ability to guide others through challenges of personal and professional development.

We salute Abigail for her amazing work empowering the military community to live their best, most healthy lives.

The Heroes Operation was created to honor and serve those who have sacrificed through military service or as first responders. Having experienced firsthand the impact unseen scars can have, The Heroes Operation has become a lifeline for many who struggle with PTSD by providing important assistance navigating the often-complex VA system.

Throughout the year, they host special events in Michigan to bring families together in celebration. On Your 6 is excited to sponsor crowd favorite, Heroes On The Dunes in July.

Over 1500 people converge on Silver Lake Sand Dunes in northern Michigan to ride badass off-road vehicles. Catch a flyover by Hooligan Flight Team, have a spin around the dance floor, and watch fireworks before camping out.

We are honored to partner with The Heroes Operation in making this summer that much brighter for our hero families.

When Malik Heard showed up for the graduation ceremony at the University of West Georgia his joy was overshadowed only by his mom’s absence. When his name was announced, though, he was shocked to hear that a special guest had traveled from Kosovo to be there.

For Malik, that could only mean one person, his mom. Sgt. Roby had kept her visit a secret until the moment he accepted his diploma. For Sgt. Roby, missing life’s big moments was a sacrifice she had to make in order to serve her country. 

But this mom was not going to miss her son’s big day because Malik was the first male in his family to graduate from college. We honor all of the service people like Sgt. Roby who sacrifice big family moments to protect our country.

In 2016, retired Marine John Cunningham walked into a rural West Virginia paramedic station as he experienced chest pains. Paramedic Kristi Hadfield loaded John into an ambulance and when his heart stopped on the way to the hospital, Kristi directed the driver to pull over immediately as she began chest compressions, restarting his heart and delivering him to the hospital where he recovered.

Kristi makes it a habit to check in on her former patients. Through a Facebook request, she connected with John and, shortly thereafter, his daughter Molly Jones: “Of course, I needed to know who saved my dad’s life,” she said.

The two women remained friends online, and when Molly posted about her Stage 4 renal failure diagnosis in 2022, Kristi came to the family’s aid a second time, messaging Molly: “I’ve got your kidney.”

Jones, whose daughter is afflicted with the same kidney-cyst disorder, is eternally grateful for Kristi:

“My daughter is my entire life, and because of Kristi, I’m going to get to see my daughter graduate, I’m going to get to see her go to college, I’m going to get to see who she grows up to be. I don’t know how you properly thank someone for that.

Nursing has been a vital part of healthcare and medicine for a few hundred years. During times of conflict, amazing and heroic acts by nurses in service are not hard to find. But today, we wish to share a story with you about one incredible nurse, Army Colonel Ruby Bradley. While working as a hospital administrator at Camp John Hay in the Philippines, Bradley was captured by the Japanese Army just three weeks following the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. She found herself detained along with other prisoners of war (POWs) at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila.

Once detained, Bradley sprang into action, providing immediate medical care to fellow prisoners and secretly distributing food to those in need, often sacrificing her own meals to ensure the wellbeing of others. Her weight dropped significantly, enabling her to sneak outdated medical tools and supplies into the camp by concealing them beneath her clothing without detection. Over her 37-month imprisonment, Bradley performed 230 significant surgeries and helped bring 13 infants into the world.

When liberation came in February 1945, Bradley’s weight had plummeted to just 84 pounds, a testament to her selflessness, as she had allocated most of her food portions to the camp’s children. Her peers dubbed Bradley and her fellow nurses as “Angels in Fatigues” for their compassionate service.

Following WWII, Bradley pursued her Army career further, achieving a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California merely four years post-war. She later participated in the Korean War and was promoted to the rank of colonel, leading up to her retirement in 1963. Over her distinguished career, she was honored with 34 awards, decorations, and medals, among them the Bronze Star Medal.

Matthew Axelson grew up in Cupertino, California where he would go on to graduate from CSU-Chico and meet his future wife, Cindy Oji Axelson. In late 2000 he joined the US Navy. He spent time in Hawaii training and after BUDs he and Cindy married.

In 2005, Matt deployed to Afghanistan as part of a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team tasked with tracking a high-ranking terrorist leader when they were ambushed by Taliban forces.

During Operation Red Wings, he was killed and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.

Over the years, Matt’s family has been supported by many wonderful people. So in 2012, they founded the Matthew Axelson Foundation to give back to the community through sponsored golf tournaments.

As part of the golf tournament experience, a Special Forces Operator joins your foursome creating an unforgettable experience.

Funds raised go to supporting his brothers in arms after service and the children of heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.

On Your 6 honors the legacy of Matthew “Axe” Axelson, a courageous Navy SEAL who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

When pizza delivery driver Nick Bostic was driving through Lafayette (a suburb of Indianapolis) one night, he noticed a house engulfed in flames with no emergency vehicles. He ran into the house and encountered 18-year-old Seionna, who was babysitting her three siblings, aged 1, 6, and 13, along with a 13-year-old friend.

Seionna had gathered all the children but was still frantically searching for 6-year-old Kaylani. Bostic helped usher them outside to safety before reentering the burning house.

Despite the thick smoke, he was able to locate Kaylani and punched out a 2nd-floor window before jumping out with her in his arms.

Bostic explained that he’s not a hero and just did what he would have wanted someone to do for him and his family if their home was on fire.

During Labor Day weekend in 2020, the Creek Fire engulfed the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Fresno and Madera counties, threatening nearly 400 residents with massive flames. In response, an emergency evacuation was initiated, prompting the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade of the California National Guard to spring into action.

They deployed two aircrews, one aboard a UH-60M Blackhawk and the other in a CH-47F Chinook, targeting the Mammoth Pool Reservoir for a critical rescue mission.

The operation faced apocalyptic conditions, with fire encircling nearly 200 people in desperate need of evacuation. The Chinook, typically designed to carry around 30, astonishingly evacuated 65 individuals on its first trip, 102 on the second, and 37 on the third, totaling 242 rescues from Mammoth Pools. A subsequent mission two days later rescued another 175 people.

This display of heroism, with soldiers swooping in under dire circumstances, undoubtedly branded these aviators as sky-borne saviors in the eyes of those they rescued.

For Brian Geer, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community police officer and Emergency Management Coordinator, decisive action comes naturally.

On Jan. 30, Geer was the first to arrive at the scene of a capsized kayak in Skagit Bay. Commandeering another kayak, Geer attached a rope to the overturned vessel and towed the victim through a strong current back to shore.

A mere 12 hours earlier, Officer Geer was on his way home when he noticed a vehicle driving erratically. Upon pulling the vehicle over, he was met with a woman in the throes of labor. Brian took action, helping deliver the baby on the side of the road.

We raise a glass to Brian, because OY6 serves those who serve.

Jane Addams, revered as the ‘Mother of Social Work,’ dedicated her life to uplifting the marginalized and empowering communities.

In 1919, she founded the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and worked for many years to get the great powers to disarm and conclude peace agreements. She helped provide medical treatment to low-income families, education for children and adults, and facilitated social services and cultural events for the largely immigrant population of the neighborhood.

We raise a glass to Jane for her extraordinary actions, which enabled her to become the second woman in history to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.