FAMILY, WHO BRAVELY SHARE THEIR
STORY IN HOPES OF INSPIRING
OTHER MILITARY FAMILIES TO REACH
OUT FOR HELP.
THE SANGE FAMILY IS ABOUT AS
ALL-AMERICAN AS YOU GET.
MIKE IS THE U.S. ARMY VETERAN.
HIS WIFE CARRIE IS A NURSE, AND
THIS FAMILY OF SIX IS ALWAYS
THROWING THE BALL AROUND THE
FRONT YARD, TAKING PART IN A
FAMILY FOOTBALL DRAFT, EVEN
DRESSING UP IN HOMEMADE COSTUMES
FOR THEIR ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BASH.
THE SANGERS ARE HAPPY, REALLY
TRULY HAPPY, A LIVING TESTAMENT
TO THE AMERICAN BELIEF THAT HARD
WORK AND PERSEVERANCE PAY OFF.
>> I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
LOWELL, WHERE I MET MY FANTASTIC
WIFE.
COLLEGE.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING.
I FELT LIKE I KNEW HIM, FROM
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, EVEN
>> WE JUST HUNG OUT.
FIELD HANGING OUT -- THE OLD
HANGING OUT IN COLLEGE.
MOMENT ONE.
>> MIKE AND CARRY DATED --
YEAR.
IN THAT TIME MIKE NOW 29 YEARS
OLD JOINED THE ARMY.
SHORTLY AFTER, CARRIE REACHED
OUT AND WROTE HIM A LETTER.
>> WHEN SHE WROTE THE LETTER AND
I GOT IT, I REMEMBERED BEING
EXCITED, LIKE A LITTLE KID,
GETTING THIS LETTER FROM CARRIE.
LETTER.
I THOUGHT, IF HE'S OPEN, I'M
GOING TO MARRY HIM.
>> AND MARRY THEY
DID.
LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER
RECONNECTING THEY TIED THE KNOT.
MIKE STILL IN BASIC TRAINING.
CARRIE HANDLED ALL THE DETAILS.
>> I WAS LITERALLY COMING IN
9:00 IN THE MORNING, GOT
DRESSED, WE GET MARRIED, HAVE
THE RECEPTION, TOOK PICTURES,
THE PLANE.
THE MILITARY LIFE.
IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR LATER THAT
MIKE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ.
HIS NOW-WIFE CARRIE SAID
GOODBYE, AND SHE WAS MONTHS
PREGNANT.
>> THAT THEY OF SAYING GOODBYE
WAS REALLY HARD, BECAUSE HE, I
LIKE JUST WANTED ONE MORE HUG,
ONE MORE KISS.
LAST ONE.
>>
OF THE MILITARY IS VERY GOOD
FOCUS ON THE JOB YOU NEED TO DO.
TAKEN CARE
OF IED'S ON THE SIDE OF THE
ROAD.
>> I COULDN'T CALL HIM,
OBVIOUSLY.
I WOULD SEND HIM PICTURES OF MY
BELLY, DO SIDE SHOTS, SHARE WITH
HIM HOW THINGS WERE GOING ON MY
SIDE OF THINGS, AND I JUST
GOING FOR HIM.
NEVER SHARED ANYTHING.
>>
CARRIE GAVE BIRTH T THE
COUPLE'S FIRST SON WHILE MIKE
WAS DEPLOYED.
>> IT WAS WEIRD, BECAUSE SHE WAS
MILES AWAY.
>> HE CAME HOME ON LEAVE FEW
WEEKS LATER TO MEET THE BABY.
>> IT WAS STRANGE TO COME HOME,
SHE'S STANDING IN THE TERMINAL
WITH THIS BABY THAT I HAD SEEN
PICTURES OF, BUT OH MY GOSH,
LOOK AT HIM.
>> AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK, BOTH
WENT WELL.
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A HONEYMOON.
BUT BEFORE LONG, MIKE WAS BACK
IN IRAQ, WHERE A TRIO OF PIVOTAL
EVENTS AWAITED.
>> WE
2007.
WE WERE SITTING AROUND THE FIRE
JUST TALKING, LIKE YOU DO.
AND 24 HOURS LATER, HE WAS GONE.
>> NINE DAYS AFTER THE DEATH OF
HIS FRIEND, MIKE WAS SHOT.
>> I GOT SHOT IN THE CHEST BY A
SNIPER.
THE ROUND BASICALLY BOUNCED OFF
THE SIDE OF MY CHEST PLATE, AND
TOOK A CHUNK OUT OF MY PECTORAL
MUSCLE.
IT WASN'T DEEMED BAD ENOUGH TO
SEND ME HOME, I GUESS.
AND HONESTLY, I DIDN'T WANT TO
GO HOME, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT
TO LEAVE MY GUYS.
>> HE DID HEAL, AND EVENTUALLY
WENT BACK OUT ON THE ROAD.
MIKE EXPECTED TO GO HOME IN
DECEMBER, BUT THEN NEWS THAT HIS
DEPLOYMENT HAD BEEN EXTENDED.
>> THAT WAS JUST AN ABSOLUTE
DESTRUCTION TO MORALE, AT THAT
POINT IN TIME.
>> EVENTUALLY, THE DEPLOYMENT
LEAVING THE HEAT AND DUST OF
IRAQ AND LANDING IN THE MIDDLE
OF A BLIZZARD.
>> IT WAS SNOWING SIDEWAYS.
AND THEN I WALK UP AND SEE MY
WIFE, AND NOW MY SON WHO IS 11
MONTHS OLD.
MY WIFE HAD SHORT HAIR.
I ALMOST DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER.
IT WAS WILD.
AGAIN --
WAS JUST THRILLED.
I WAS SO EXCITED.
BE BACK TOGETHER.
HAPPY.
AND HE CAME HOME, AND HE WAS
HE WAS STRUGGLING.
AND HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW
TO BE, WHO TO BE, AND THAT'S
WHEN IT WAS LIKE, WHEN MEN AND
WOMEN COME BACK FROM WAR, THEY
ARE NOT JUST JUMPING BACK INTO
LIFE.
IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY.
>>
CARRIE CAME TO HOME BASE
FIRST, ATTENDING ONE OF THEIR
OF VETERANS.
SHE FOUND IT INCREDIBLY HELPFUL,
AND BEFORE LONG SHE AND MIKE
BEGAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
PROVIDES.
MIKE WENT INTO TREATMENT, AND
THE SANGERS BEGAN THEIR JOURNEY
BACK TO LIFE IN COLOR.
I WORKED WITH MIKE AND CARRIE
SANG FOR THE BETTER PART OF A
YEAR.
MIKE SANGER CAME TO SEE ME FOR
MEDICATION EVALUATION.
THERAPIST.
>> T SANGE EXPERIENCED THE
KIND OF WRAPAROUND CARE THAT
MAKES HOME BASE UNIQUE, ALL WITH
ONE TEAM OF EXPERT COMMISSIONS
-- CLINICIANS.
GREATER THAN ITS PARTS.
>> WHEN I STARTED TREATMENT AT
HOME BASE, YOU COULD SPEAK TO
ME, BUT I WOULDN'T REALLY HEAR
YOU.
>> NOW HE'S INTERESTED, IN THE
KIDS, INTERESTED IN ME, HE WANTS
TO TALK, HE WANTS TO SHARE.
THEIR WAY BACK TO A FAMILY THAT
IS HAPPY, THAT FEEL SAFE.
>> THE SANGERS TONIGHT HAVE A
STRUGGLING.
FIND HOME BASE.
>> I MEAN, IT SAVE YOUR
MARRIAGE.
IT REALLY DID -- SAVED OUR
MARRIAGE.
IT REALLY DID.
>> IN THE MILITARY, THEY TEACH
YOU TO JUST DRIVE ON, KEEP DOING
THE MISSION, KEEP GOING, KEEP
GOING.
AND THE MISSION ENDS.
I AM STILL IN TREATMENT, ONCE A
MONTH, ONCE EVERY SIX WEEKS, AND
IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO BECOME THE
AM TODAY.