Sergeant 1st Class Nicole Amor’s final goodbye was never meant to be permanent. “I’ll see you soon,” she told her husband, Joey, before leaving for her second deployment to Kuwait—a place her family believed was safe.
Days before she was due to return home, a drone attack struck her base, killing Nicole and five other U.S. service members. “She was almost home,” Joey said.
Back in Minnesota, he faced the heartbreaking task of telling their children the truth. Now part of a Gold Star family, they are learning to live with loss—each coping in their own way.
Nicole and Joey had built a life rooted in love and service. Described as a “special light,” her memory lives on through small rituals, like lighting a candle each night in her honor.
To keep her spirit alive, Joey plans to build a greenhouse—a tribute to her love of growth and care.
Though she is gone, her legacy remains in her family, her service, and the love that continues to grow.