It takes a lot to shake a four-star general, but it was former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey’s first visit to Good Grief Camp that put his confidence and composure to the test.

The annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Good Grief Camp — a camp just for children who have lost a loved one who served in the U.S. armed forces — is held alongside the National Military Survivor Seminar for surviving adults over Memorial Day weekend in Arlington, Virginia.

Dempsey, with 600 children seated cross-legged all around him, invited questions from the group. Though each child carried the weight of profound loss, questions were light and generally military-focused — medals, missions, and the like.

Then, encouraged by her Military Mentor, 4-year-old Lizzie Yaggy raised her hand. She meant to ask a question about sports, but as Lizzie, now 18, recalls, “My mind blanked. So, I just asked, ‘Is my daddy an angel?’”

Lizzie lost her father, Marine Corps Major David Yaggy, before her second birthday. He was a decorated pilot and instructor, deeply admired by his peers, and tragically killed during a routine training flight with VT-6 based at NAS Whiting Field in March 2008. Lizzie’s memories of her dad come mostly from stories, photos, and TAPS.

A long pause echoed through the hushed room while all eyes were on Dempsey for an answer. When the answer finally came, Lizzie and the entire room found comfort in it: “Yes, of course he is.”

To further lift the children’s spirits, Dempsey did something no one expected; he began to sing. The tune wasn’t a hymn or military cadence, it was a silly, cheerful, and wonderfully odd camp song that has since become a beloved TAPS tradition: “The Unicorn.” As the children joined in singing and acting out the song’s lyrics, joy filled the room.

That moment — Lizzie’s question, Dempsey’s answer, and the song — was a turning point for Lizzie and the hundreds of children who have found comfort in the rituals and rhythms of Good Grief Camp.

Today, “The Unicorn” song opens every TAPS Good Grief Camp, bridging sadness and strength, and reminding the youngest survivors that they aren’t alone.

What makes Good Grief Camp extraordinary isn’t just the programming; it’s the people. Each child is paired with a Military Mentor — a service member or veteran who volunteers their weekend to support a grieving child. These mentors and senior leaders like General Dempsey represent a living connection to a child’s military heritage. They represent comfort and courage, and are reminders that their military family always remembers its own.

Because TAPS receives no federal funding, Good Grief Camp exists thanks to the generosity of donors, especially the New York Life Foundation and the Hartwell Foundation. Their support creates safe, loving spaces where children can talk about grief without shame, laugh without guilt, and find hope through community.

“There is no other place like Good Grief Camp,” says Maria Collins, Vice President of the New York Life Foundation. “We are proud to help create an environment where children find hope, healing, and a sense of belonging.”

For Lizzie, it’s more than a camp — it’s where she learned to smile again, where she saw herself reflected in others, and where her father’s legacy lives on through songs, stories, and shared strength.

To support children like Lizzie, visit taps.org/donate. To become a Military Mentor, visit taps.org/support.

Because no child should ever have to grieve alone.