Celebrating Alive Day

Apr 13, 2012

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What is an Alive Day?
An alive day is the date of an anniversary of a very close escape from death. People may choose to celebrate their alive days with parties, or with personal reflection, depending on personal taste and their relationship to the events which occurred on the day they narrowly missed dying. Friends and family may also mark an alive day with cards or gifts acknowledging their relationship with the near-deceased.

Members of the military have been celebrating alive days since the Vietnam War, and quite probably even earlier. Fighting in a war tends to increase the probability of dying, and it can seem miraculous to escape death after an engagement with the enemy. Military members are also tightly connected with each other, thanks to their unique experiences in war, and alive day parties can be one way to renew that connection and celebrate a safe return from the battlefield.

The concept of the alive day was popularized by a 2007 documentary, Alive Day Memories, which featured interviews with veterans of the Iraq War who talked about their experiences in battle and their alive days. The Iraq War created a number of opportunities for Alive Day celebrations, thanks to advances in battlefield medicine which increased the probability that soldiers could survive devastating attacks.

The soldiers profiled in the documentary were severely injured, and the film chronicled the ways in which they dealt with their injuries. Many Iraq War veterans have experienced amputations and severe brain injuries, and commemorating their alive days helps them to process the events which changed their lives. Increased awareness about the concept of an alive day has spread out from the military into the civilian community, and this has been encouraged by some psychologists and other professionals who feel that commemorating an alive day can be an important experience.

One doesn’t have to be a war veteran to celebrate an alive day. Alive days can commemorate major car accidents, falls which led to severe injuries, and other life-threatening events in someone’s life. Since a close brush with death is often an intense and life-changing experience, recognizing the event with an alive day celebration can be an important part of growing and changing. Some people also like to talk about the events which led to their life-threatening accident, with some choosing to speak to communities about their experiences in the hopes of preventing others from making choices which might put them into the same situation.


Alive Dates

  • Jan 7, 2007 – Michael Proscia
  • Jan 8, 2010 – Nicholas McKensey
  • Jan 9, 2003 – Mike McNaughton
  • Jan 12, 2012 – Josh Sams
  • Jan 13, 2008 – Randy Moore
  • Jan 22, 2011 – Chaz Allen
  • Jan 22, 2009 – Danny Ruck
  • Jan 24, 2008 – Jim Brigman
  • Jan 23, 2009 – Tommy Locklear
  • Feb 7, 2008 – Michael Gallardo
  • Feb 13, 2013 – Jeramie Green
  • Feb 14, 2003 – James Meeks
  • Feb 20, 2012 – Timothy Goodrich
  • Feb 26, 2007 – Cody Spigler
  • Feb 27, 2009 – Robert Scott III
  • March 8, 2012 – Andrew Smith
  • March 10, 2006 – David Soto Jr
  • March 12, 2011 – Steven Simmons
  • March 13, 2009 – Seyward McKinney
  • March 17, 2013 – Sam Shockley
  • March 22, 2010 – Mike Leonard
  • March 23, 2003 – Adam Blochard
  • March 24, 2011 – Robert Blumenberg Jr
  • March 25, 2006 – Sean Johnson
  • March 29, 2008 – Josh Reynolds
  • April 9, 2004 – Daniel Fisher
  • April 10, 2012 – Travis Mills
  • April 11, 2012 – Richard Burkett
  • April 12, 2009 – Brendan Marrocco
  • April 12, 2011 – Griffin Fitzgerald
  • April 13, 2011 – Oliver Hughes
  • April 13, 2010 – Robert Kitchell
  • April 15, 2011 – John Huff
  • April 16, 2006 – Edward Walls
  • April 20, 2010 – Jeffrey Pickard
  • April 24, 2010 – Michael Verardo
  • April 29, 2006 – Matthew Pennington
  • May 3, 2012 – Taylor Morris
  • May 8, 2012 – Thomas Akin
  • May 8, 2004 – Dean Schwartz
  • May 11, 2010 – Kendra Coleman
  • May 13, 2011 – Joshua Hotaling
  • May 14, 2007 – Omar Avila
  • May 14, 2004 – Ryan Jackson
  • May 16, 2013 – Brett Claycamp
  • May 17, 2010 – Carlos Evans Toro
  • May 19, 2010 – John Lahman
  • May 20, 2007 – John Suder
  • May 22, 2010 – Maximo Martinez
  • May 23, 2008 – Robert Smith
  • May 24, 2010 – John Peck
  • May 26, 2012 – Lucas Oppelt
  • May 28, 2010 – Rory Shaffer
  • May 29, 2004 – Daryl Johnson
  • May 31, 2012 – Eric Hunter
  • May 31, 2012 – Josh Wetzel
  • May 31, 2013 – Luke Cikja
  • May 31, 2011 – Will Parker
  • June 1, 2012 – Mason Steill
  • June 1, 2013 – Ryan Palmieri
  • June 2, 2008 – Earl Granville
  • June 3, 2010 – Joe Yantz
  • June 5, 2011 – Semisi Tokailagi
  • June 6, 2008 – Travis Sigmon
  • June 7, 2010 – Devon Pitz
  • June 8, 2013 – Matt Smith
  • June 8, 2008- Andrew Warren
  • June 9, 2013 – Justin Burdette
  • June 9, 2006 – Nick Firth
  • June 11, 2012 – David Taylor
  • June 11, 2005 – Chris Campbell
  • June 12, 2011 – Michael Boucher
  • June 12, 2005  – James Kirchner
  • June 14, 2003 -Brian Hicks
  • June 15, 2010 – CJ Stewart
  • June 15, 2011 – Kyle Hockenberry
  • June 15, 2012- Sean Karpf
  • June 18, 2008 – Michael Kacer
  • June 18, 2011 – Caleb Getscher
  • June 23, 2011 – Bill Longwell
  • June 24, 2008 – John Souza
  • June 24, 2012 – Kevin Jaye
  • June 25, 2014 – Sterling “Levi” Eaves
  • June 27, 2006 – Chris Shaw
  • June 28, 2011 – Christopher Garrett
  • July 1, 2011 – Seth Pack
  • July 2, 2010 – Edward Matayka
  • July 3, 2003 – Joe Eason
  • July 4, 2012 – Monte Bernardo
  • July 6. 2011 – Brian Pomerville
  • July 6, 2012 –  Jordan Folmar
  • July 7, 2009 – Kevin Eggenburg
  • July 9, 2012 – Raymond Kusch
  • July 12, 2010 – Kevin Gatson
  • July 12, 2010 – Kyle Malin
  • July 12, 2010 – Corey Kent
  • July 13, 2011 – Jeffrey Kessler
  • June 15, 2010 – CJ Stewart
  • July 14, 2010 – Adam Keys
  • July 16, 2011 – Tom Shepard
  • July 24, 2009 – John Wright
  • July 29, 2006 – David Lease
  • Aug 9, 2014 – Brandon Dodson
  • Aug 10, 2013 – Andi Broom
  • Aug 11, 2012 – Aubrey Hand
  • Aug 13, 2012 – Marshall Lane
  • Aug 15, 2011 – Jeffrey Hackett
  • Aug 15, 2011 – Phillip Stevens
  • Aug 16, 2006 – Drew Hill
  • Aug 22, 2012 – Eric Zastoupil
  • Aug 25, 2010 – John Bentley
  • Aug 26, 2010 – Troy Walsingham
  • Sept 5, 2013 – Jason Walker
  • Sept 7, 2003 – Brandon Sandrell
  • Sept 7, 2010 – Michael Thomas
  • Sept 10, 2012 – Sean Taylor
  • Sept 11, 2011 – Murphy Hueston
  • Sept 11, 2004 – Chris Cook
  • Sept 13, 2011 – Michael Shane Zavodny
  • Sept 18, 2011 – Shaun O’Brien
  • Sept 20, 2012 – Gregory Hendrick
  • Sept 21, 2010 – Rusty Dunagan
  • Sept 22, 2010 -Anthony Verra
  • Sept 23, 2010 – Jeffrey Shonk
  • Sept 27, 2012 – Marc Owens
  • Sept 29, 2012 – Franz Walkup
  • Sept 30, 2010 – David Bixler
  • Oct 1, 2012 – James Pierce
  • Oct 2, 2010 – Aaron Palmer
  • Oct 3, 2011 – Mark Fidler
  • Oct 4, 2012 – James Osborne
  • Oct 6, 2005 – Brian Radke
  • Oct 6, 2012 – Tyler Jeffries
  • Oct 7, 2008 – Johnny Plover
  • Oct 10, 2003 – Patrick Farrelly
  • Oct 11, 2008 – Michael Mather
  • Oct 13, 2011 – Timothy Senkowski
  • Oct 16, 2009 – Mike Araujo
  • Oct 17, 2011 – Jesse Fletcher
  • Oct 19, 2011 – Andrew Wilson
  • Oct 22, 2012 – Edward “Flip” Klein
  • Oct 22, 2007 – Daniel Maguire Jr
  • Oct 22, 2012 – Darrell Wess, Jr.
  • Oct 25, 2010 – Todd Love
  • Oct 26, 2010 – Robert Thrailkill
  • Oct 27, 2003 – Joshua Olson
  • Nov 3, 2010 – Brian Eisch
  • Nov 5, 2010 – Keith Sekora
  • Nov 6, 2008 – Steve Bohn
  • Nov 11, 2011 – Nick Vogt
  • Nov 15, 2004 – Ed Salau
  • Nov 16, 2009 – George Wilmot
  • Nov 18, 2008 – Chris Wolff
  • Nov 20, 2005 – Kyle Golden
  • Nov 23, 2006 – Sam Floberg
  • Nov 29, 2010 – Richie Chavis
  • Dec 3, 2003 – Victor Thibeault
  • Dec 3, 2003 – Dan Swank
  • Dec 3, 2004 – Bryant Jacobs
  • Dec 4, 2006 – Ian Newland
  • Dec 11, 2006 – Bruce Dunlap
  • Dec 14, 2008 – Timothy McDonough
  • Dec 20, 2007 – Wesley Leon-Barrientos
  • Dec 21, 2010 – Chris Kurtz
  • Dec 21, 2004 – Shawn Graves
  • Dec 21, 2011 – Roberto Flores
  • Dec 21, 2014 – Tyler McGibbon
  • Dec 28, 2005 – Chris Self
  • Dec 28, 2010 – Scott Beauchamp
  • Dec 29, 2006 – Dillon Cannon
  • Dec 30, 2003 – James Callihan

Add Your Alive Date
Do you or someone you know celebrate an Alive Day (post 9/11)? Send it in using the form below. (If you provide a photo and short bio information may be shared on OPW57 social media sites. If only a date or no photo is provided we will just add you to the above list. You may be asked to provide additional information to verify Alive Day.)

  • Max. file size: 32 MB.
    Please attach a photo (pre or post injury) to be included with our Alive Day posts on Facebook.

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