As told by Founder and Board Member, Susan L Combs:

Many have asked how the #PancakesForRoger campaign began. It began with what seemed to be a simple request by my father for some pancakes.

My dad, Major General Roger E. Combs, served our great country for more than 39 years in three branches of the military (Marines, Army, and Air Force).

When he was coming to the end of his life, I was fortunate enough to return home to King City, MO from my NYC home to be present and help care for him.

Each morning we had a pretty specific routine as the early risers of the family.

I would go to the gym at 5 am, return home around 6 am to get ready for the day, and then help him have breakfast and get him prepped for his day.

One morning, as I came downstairs, he was setting the kitchen table for himself and I looked at him rather quizzically and asked what he was doing. He looked at me and said, “I want pancakes for breakfast.” I smiled at him as my heart broke inside.

Such a simple request was by this time impossible for my dad. Ten years prior, my father was diagnosed with Agent Orange-related throat cancer, from exposure during his service as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He’d beaten that cancer and enjoyed a relatively good ten years, but he relapsed twice, and his final treatments required him to have a feeding tube.

He was unable to eat solid foods – and my dad loved food – but he never complained. He knew the journey he was on. So his desire for pancakes became a rallying point for me and #PancakesForRoger became my way to honor his greatness. I share this story as often as I can to help remind myself and others to enjoy the simple things in life because you never know when they could be taken away.

So every February, to show support to many veterans who will come to be in my father’s shoes, I issue a challenge for the month to have some “Pancakes for Roger.”