8000 Meters for 8000 Veterans...
There are over 8000 Veteran Suicides each Year
Contact Me: [email protected]
About My Mission:
From Service...
HM2 (FMF) Fairman, US NAVY Afghanistan. 2010-2011
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SUMMIT, SUMMIT, SUMMIT...
Hello, My name is C. Michael Fairman. I was a US Navy (FMF) Corpsman for almost 19 years, serving both on active duty and the reserves. In 2010/2011 I deployed to Afghanistan with the USMC Infantry. I live with Bipolar, Depression and PTSD. In 2012 I tried to take my life... given a second chance I returned to the one therapeutic thing that has always worked for me... climbing! On 19 May 2016, I stood on the summit of Mt Everest, hoping this (and all my climbs) would become an encouragement to others by showing that you 'CAN' reclaim your life and take on any challenge that comes your way! More importantly, to carry the Silently Fallen flag bearing the names of brothers and sisters within our group that we have lost to suicide. Never Forget, Always Remembered Summit for Soldiers began as the personal mission of Steve Redenbaugh and myself to bring awareness to PTSD and Veteran Suicide through our climbing. In 2014 we turned this mission into an official 501(c)3 non-profit, run by our team of “Re-abled” veterans on “Re-purposed” missions through our “Adven-Therapy” programs and community outreach to serve other struggling veterans. In 2024 we closed the doors on our non-profit, but not the mission. Our simple approach through camaraderie, encouragement and peer-to-peer support coupled with outdoor activities has resulted in veterans who are committed to walk beside each other down the difficult road of mental health recovery... and we realized that we do not need an "organization" to continue doing that. All we need are those who are willing to continue that mission wherever they may be. |
To Summit
Legion Magazine, 2016 Sept Edition
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The next adventure... An Educational Journey
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The Educational Journey continues... But first a Very Long Story...
I have always found myself living a life of adventure. Some things I asked for, and others I did not, but one thing I have learned is to embrace it all. Hang on and enjoy (or endure) the ride! Lets see... I dropped out of high school and lived in the streets at 17 years old... not always making the best decisions, but somehow survived... (barely). Later, married with kids the only choice I had was the military. That first half of my naval service would put me in the service of President Clinton for 6 years and set me up with a nice civilian career in a subspecialty of cardiology. As I exited the Navy after 11 years, a new and unexpected chapter would be opened. I would find myself faced off against the ATF on charges so surreal I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. It would become the most nerve-racking 6 months as I tried everything possible to prove I was not their suspect. Nothing worked, but then as quickly as it had started, it all came to an end and my name was cleared. It was during this time that a friend convinced me to go climbing to clear my head... I was bit and the rest is history! I had been at my lowest point, and climbing and adventure had became my outlet. Passport in hand, the world was now open to me. I would find myself hiding inside a room in Northern Pakistan, entrusting my life to people we had just met, while villagers were asking around about 3 Americans in their village. All of this at the same time as news of Wall Street Journalist Danial Pearl's abduction was breaking in Karachi. Years later my wife and I would find ourselves sequestered to the back room of a library in Bahawalpur, while we were interrogated (in a lengthy but kind way) by an ISI Colonel who was suspicious of our presence and purpose in the city (we had been working with religious minorities that we could not risk exposing). My first visit to Israel would be during the third intifada... later, in 2005 my wife and I would enjoy our delayed honeymoon there during the Gaza Strip pull-out. Nepal would become my second home, but long before I ever climbed there we would experience the Maoist revolution that would eventually overthrow the monarchy. I would later be asked to go back, on official business, to meet with and visit with some of those Maoist leaders that had taken over government positions and that we had come to know over the years. The second stint in the military would put me in the USMC as a FMF Corpsman, with tours in the Republic of Georgia leading to the 2008 War and deployment to Afghanistan. Another chapter would be opened, this time addressing my mental health. Trauma, attempted suicide, PTSD, Bipolar... returning to my climbing with renewed purpose, only this time it would be the big fellas... Himalayas, Andes, Antartica. With questions and an idea on how to make things better for other veterans, I would be pulled into the political scene, campaigning bipartisan legislation that would be introduced in both the US House and Senate. Touring the state with Senators and Congressmen, starting a non-profit, war, adventure, mental health, politics, non-profits... oh yeah, I almost forgot about all the natural disasters. Let's see, there have been hurricanes including a Cat 5 (Hugo, SC), tornadoes, an earthquake in Seattle and a couple of emergency landings... Yep... I can feel your eyes rolling and the muttering of "yeah, sure, right, of course you did"... Me too! I ask myself all the time, why me? Why did I survive "this" or why did I get to accomplish "that"? How have I experienced so incredibly much? I am nobody special, and I am certainly not deserving of so much good that I have been given. Listen, I can be an ass and I have made some serious mistakes and regrets in my life. (I'll let my wife, family and friends fill in those blanks!) No, it is not about me... it is about two elements that have been central to my life and through all the various things that I have experienced. These two things have created the greatest and most important adventures of my life. They are my faith, trust and walk with God and my family, as broken as we are at times, that have always been there by my side. Listen God is real... believe it or don't... My door is and has always been open to hear what you have to say on the subject, and I am more than happy to share, discuss or debate with those that are interested. If not, those that know me know I will gladly shut up if you don't want to hear about it. Okay, I don't want to get preachy here, but if you are curious then just click into my Secret Lair to learn more. Moving on to family. Mine, as dysfunctional as we can be, has always been by my side for better or worst. Encouraging, praising, loving and cursing at me along the way. Family has been my greatest, most challenging, frustrating and rewarding adventure of them all... and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. They are the ones who have encouraged me to take on my recent educational "expedition." Returning to school a few years back was just something to do, but now it has taken on a new purpose. The first is to show that a 59y/o high school dropout, veteran who struggles with Bipolar and PTSD can push passed his disabilities and succeed academically. I took a semester off following my mother's death, but returned this past spring and have be going at it strong through the summer. Now the end is in sight, perhaps another year, two at the most, as I enter another busy and demanding fall semester. The second purpose is to "reboot" an idea. At Summit for Soldiers, we used outdoor adventures as a means for veterans, some of which are struggling, to get away and mentally"reset" while building camaraderie. Removing the isolation to prevent suicides. A while back through my church, a group of veterans including myself had launched a beta program to provide a safe place for veterans to come ask and explore questions about religion. One of the things I have always enjoyed is discussing the Bible from a historical sense. My hope being, that if I can convince somebody in the historical accuracy, maybe they will consider the theological aspects as well. Imagine... a group of veterans, families, (hell, anyone for that matter) sitting around a campfire, having drinks, getting to know one another in a safe, non-judgemental environment, and discussing the idea of God, religion and more. No preaching, just open discussions from all sides. Stay tuned... For now, it is back to school. I will be beginning my individual study program that will lead to my undergraduate research/thesis over the remainder of my time. I have spent a lot of time focusing on Middle Eastern Studies, and it has led to deeper study into a marginalized and perhaps forgotten Palestinian/Israeli minority... the Christians. Arabs and non-Arabs, they live on both sides of the fence, but where do they stand on the issues? Is there perhaps a silenced voice among them? Anyway, don't get me started... Thank you for enduring my rant, and like I said... stay tuned. As far as my continued mission on Suicide Prevention goes, I need to say Thank You to the OSU History Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Now at OSU for all taking interest and featuring my story and mission. You can catch the articles and podcasts at:
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Follow the Blog here: Old Man in School
The 750 Endeavor
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42 States Completed; 8 To Go!
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To Carry the Flag
To Encourage Others To Heal and Recover |
5 of the Seven Summits Completed; 2 To Go!
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2019 Vinson massif EXPEDITION
FOLLOW the "TWEETS" Below, or ClicK for the ANTARCTICA BLOG PAGE
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ANTARCTICA UPDATE:
14 Jan 2019: Summit, Summit, Summit! The Silently Fallen Flag has been raised on the top of Antarctica’s highest mountain... Mount Vinson! |
what is the 750The 7-50 Club! There are around 5000 people who have summited Mt. Everest, of those less than 500 have completed the 7-summits. There are around 450 people that have completed all 50-state highpoints, and only 6 people on record have completed both the 50 States and the 7-summits! With 5 of the 7 Summits reached, along with 42 State highpoints completed, my quest is to continue my efforts to carry our Message and the Silently Fallen Flag to complete both of these challenging objectives. Our hope through this effort is to draw much needed attention to help us to eliminate the Stigma revolving around mental health issues, rally support for our veterans and their families, and encourage other veterans to reclaim their lives and overcome any obstacle or challenge that may come their way... especially the most difficult challenge of all... simply reaching out for help!
Thank You to everyone who helped to make this Vision grow and our Mission carry on! C. Michael Fairman |
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The Summits so Far...
CLICK to VIEW
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CLICK to VIEW
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CLICK to VIEW
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19 Nov 2018: Kosciuszko Summited!
UPDATE: The Seven Summits Update: Beth, Emy and Karla joined me as we summited Australia's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko. Now I know some of you “climbing folk” might disagree, calling the continent "Oceania" which would make Cartenz Pyramid the highest, but I prefer the original Dick Bass and Frank Wells version! Besides, mine is for a reason other than just climbing! |
The "Silently Fallen" Flag
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CLICK on the image or the tab at the top of the page to visit the Wall of the Fallen Warriors from their Silent Wounds. I will carry their names with me to the summits of these climbs and I PROMISE they will NEVER be Forgotten! If you would like to add a name in memory of your loved one, please contact me at: [email protected]
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Need help: 1-800-273-8255 press 1
(Talk or Chat confidentially) Every 60-80 Mins we lose another Veteran to Suicide! 22 a day, >8000 a year! |
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Sponsorship Opportunities: Please contact : [email protected].
