Telling Stories as Gold Star Children (MMM#60)

Greetings all,

Madeline here, and welcome to the 60th Movie Minute! For this special entry we’ll be reflecting on what it’s like to tell stories as Gold Star Children.

I am a child of Army SFC Marcus V. Muralles. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, Georgia before entering a period of inactive ready reserve. SFC Muralles was then assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the Night Stalkers, where he continued to serve as an aerial flight medic after several rigorous courses and training. Our creative director Jacob Centeno is a child of Navy SCPO Daniel R. Healy. A Navy SEAL, SCPO Healy joined the Navy in 1990 and served and trained for 15 years, having been assigned to SEAL Delivery Team ONE in Pearl Harbor.

In June 2005 during Operation Red Wings, both of our dads, alongside multiple other heroes, were sent on a rescue mission in Afghanistan to rescue several SEALs who were being held hostage. Tragically, an RPG struck the helicopters carrying them, causing them to be killed in action. Of the SEALs that were in need of rescue, only one survived- Marcus Lutrell, whose memoir Lone Survivor was adapted into a Hollywood film.

While both of our dads made the ultimate sacrifices in this mission, we didn’t know each other until 2022 when I asked the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which helps cover education for children of fallen special operations personnel among many other things, about possibly obtaining an internship in film. That’s when I was connected with Jacob for the first time, and we shared the stories of our fallen heroes. Through my time with Poor Bear Stories as an intern in 2022 and as an official team member since 2023, I learned more about both of our dads, and I connected with other organizations that strive to preserve their legacies of our fallen heroes, such as Legacies Alive, SOWF, and the Special Operations Fund among others.

To bring things to a close, being Gold Star children, with Jacob having lost his dad at 15 and mine at 4, has had a significant impact on our storytelling. As a team brought together by our parents’ service and a wonderful organization that takes care of their children, we strive to continue to tell stories that have a positive impact in the defense, intelligence, military, and Gold Star family communities.

And that concludes this entry in The Movie Minute. Wishing you all the best, and see y’all in 2! -Madeline

We at Poor Bear Stories are passionate about your story. Creating media that makes a difference is our craft and life’s work. With over 35 years of industry experience, we bring a host of solutions to your brand and media endeavors.

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