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What a Stuffed Bunny Means to This Military Family

American Veteran: Keep it Close delves into the Veteran experience by exploring the significance of objects that veterans carried with them or brought back home from their service. Hosted by Shain Brenden, a former medic in the US Navy who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marines, the series asks what these objects meant, and why they still matter today.

What a Stuffed Bunny Means to This Military Family

American Veteran: Keep It Close Episode 5 | 5m 22s | CC

Yolanda Mayo was in the Marines for three decades. When she deployed to Afghanistan, her husband sent her a stuffed bunny for Easter. It became her son’s first toy then her daughter’s. A decade later Yolanda was called back into active duty, and her children insisted she take the bunny on her deployment to Iraq. For Yolanda and her family, the bunny represents freedom and home.

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American Veteran: Keep It Close

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