Custom Patches Born Out of Tragedy
The reasons for getting patches made are infinite. Each individual customer has their own story to tell and their own reason for wanting an order of patches. Sometimes, those stories are happy and celebratory like when the patches are intended to honor someone retiring. Other times, the reason behind the patches is more somber, but even then, the patches can be used to find support, a new community, and to inspire hope.
It’s this situation that most closely mirrors the story of Cindy Malmo. Her patches were born out of the tragedy of losing her son, but the support and community she’s been able to find as a result of them is impressive. We recently got to chat with Malmo about her patches, the story of her son, and how she’s been using the patches to keep her son’s memory alive.
In Memory of SSG Michael R Hullender
If the patch Malmo ordered seems overly simple, that belies the true impact such a design can have. With the words “In Memory of SSG Michael R Hullender” on one side and the Battlefield Cross on the other, there’s no question that the patch was designed in honor of a fallen soldier. The Bible verse under the Battlefield Cross, John 15:13, reads “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
The meaning and the importance of the patch is obvious at a glance, but to understand the true story of patch, you have to start with understanding the story of Staff Sergeant Hullender. “He joined before 9/11,” Malmo explained. SSG Hullender was in college when he felt drawn towards something different, so he decided to join the military. “He wanted to be airborne, and when he went to join, they had airborne medics, so that’s what he became,” Malmo said.
SSG Hullender joined the Army Rangers and was later transferred to Alaska to be a part of the 501st. “He was up there for about two years, and he absolutely loved Alaska! It was really good for him.” Not only was he doing something he loved and believed in, Hullender was doing it in one of the most beautiful places in America. It’s easy to see why he loved it so much.
Once 9/11 happened and the war on terror began, Hullender and his team were dispatched overseas. In April of 2007, Hullender and his fellow soldiers were in Iraq. While performing his medic duties and working hard to stabilize a fellow soldier for transport, SSG Michael Hullender was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit.
Gone but Never Forgotten
For a parent, Malmo and her husband at the time were going through the worst situation imaginable. How to deal with something so difficult is never an easy question, and the solution is different for everyone.
“My daughter started making quilts,” Malmo explained when talking about this time in their lives. “My husband had received a comfort quilt from somebody that had been made with patches and different emblems on it. What people would do is just make squares and then they would send them in and someone would put them together.” Her daughter started making these quilt squares, and one of the first patches the family ordered in SSG Hullender’s memory made its way into some of these quilts. “For awhile, those patches were on quilts that went to families of the fallen.”
There’s no one size fits all way to deal with loss. For SSG Hullender’s family, being creative and designing patches and creating quilts was one way to process their grief. For Malmo herself, getting active in a like-minded and sympathetic community was for the best.
"After Mike died, I threw myself into a lot with the military … I’m real involved with American Gold Star Mothers, the National Organization, and I’ve done a lot of things with Gold Star Families.”
But her work doesn’t stop there, Malmo also works with other organizations like VFW Auxiliary, Rolling Thunder, and is often seen at New Jersey Run for the Fallen events each year. And it’s these events and situations that see her bringing out the patches.
It’s not just at small local events that Malmo gets to see her son’s memory honored. Even the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have taken notice.
Finding Hope and Building Community
The Thunderbirds have made a name for themselves over years of performing amazing feats of exceptional flying. When they were looking to put on a show in New Jersey, they wanted to know if there was anyone from the state that they could personally honor.
Malmo was given tickets to attend the airshow, and then something very special happened. “Just before their time to fly, they had us go up to where they were and they gave us headphones and we were able to listen to the pilots while they were flying. And that was really cool,” Malmo explained. Part of the way through the show, the announcer came over the loud speaker and announced that this portion of the event was dedicated to those who had fallen. He then proceeded to read SSG Hullender’s bio to the audience.
It might seem trivial to think that a patch has the ability to carry so much weight and to help someone get through one of the darkest parts of their life, but when you understand the story behind the patch, when you take the time to get to know the people these patches are intended to represent and honor, you see that it’s not trivial at all. “It’s basically a thank you for their effort and their remembrance,” Malmo explained about handing out the patches. “When you think about it, Mike died 12 years ago, and the Thunderbirds just flew for Mike. I mean they remember. And they were so gracious ... they really were very thankful.” Cindy Malmo is working hard to help make sure her son’s memory lives on, and we’re happy and proud to be a part of that journey.
