The results of Super Bowl LIII, which saw the New England Patriots win their sixth title overall and their third in just the last five years, left some football fans overjoyed and others highly annoyed. But there was one group of patriots celebrated at this year's Super Bowl that everyone should be able to appreciate, regardless of their team loyalties.

During the big game, Verizon debuted another entry in its "The Team That Wouldn't Be Here" ad campaign, titled "The Coach That Wouldn't Be Here: Anthony Lynn." The 60-second spot, which reportedly cost over $10 million to air, features Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn speaking to a group of first responders and telling them the story of the time his own life was saved by police officers and paramedics who came to his aid after a "horrible" car accident.

In the video, Lynn describes how in 2005 he was struck by a car traveling at 50 mph. He credited the first responders who came to the scene of the accident with saving his life.

At one point, three of the first responders in the crowd identified themselves as the individuals who had first arrived at the scene of Lynn's accident, causing him to become visibly emotional. With tears in his eyes, Lynn embraced the first responders and thanked them for being his guardian angels.

Company also funding new public safety tech

According to Verizon, over 40 million people in America wouldn't be alive today if not for the efforts of a first responder.

To show its gratitude, the cell phone service provider pledged to support first responders in a variety of ways, including through the website AllOurThanks.com. Verizon asked users to visit the website, promising that for every share of the content, the company would donate $1, up to $1.5 million, to First Responders Outreach.

Verizon also offered a special discount available only to first responders, which included lower prices for one of its service plans, as well as a $100 prepaid card per new phone line for those who switched, bought or activated a new smartphone.

The most notable commitment, though, is Verizon's 5G First Responder Lab, a "first-of-its-kind innovation incubator" that will provide first responder technology companies with access to 5G technology they can use to develop, test and refine 5G solutions for public safety. On March 6, 2019, Verizon announced the five participating companies for the first cohort of the 5G First Responder Lab: Adcor Magnetic Systems, Aerial Applications, Blueforce Development, Kiana Analytics and Qwake Technologies.

"5G is transformative and will bring new possibilities in technology," said Nick Nilan, director of public sector product development for Verizon. "The companies chosen for the 5G First Responder Lab could bring unseen, potentially life-saving innovations to public safety."

Located in Verizon's 5G DC Lab at Alley in Washington DC, the 5G First Responder Lab will ultimately bring together a total of 15 innovators in three separate cohorts over the course of one year, with the goal of developing public safety solutions. Each three-month cohort will allow five first responder technology developers to have access to the lab and its 5G network to assist them in their mission. 

Every year on March 25, the United States of America observes National Medal of Honor Day, a time for remembering and honoring those who have earned the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to U.S. military service members for acts of valor.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Medal of Honor is awarded to military members who have distinguished themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity" that went above and beyond the call of duty.

All five branches of the military are eligible for the honor, though there are only three versions of the medal: one each for the Army, Air Force and Navy, with personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard able to receive the Navy version.

To understand the significance of the MOH, as well as the reasoning behind its annual holiday on March 25, it helps to educate yourself on the history of this incomparable honor.

Over 150 years of recognizing our nation's finest

Though there were several precursors to the MOH, including the George Washington's Badge of Military Merit and a Fidelity Medallion presented to three persons who helped capture a spy associated with Benedict Arnold in the 1700s, it was not until 1862 that the Navy Medal of Honor was created, quickly followed by the Army Medal of Honor, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The Air Force did not design its own MOH until 1963, over a century later.

On April 11, 1862, a group of Union soldiers led by civilian spy James J. Andrews boarded the train General disguised as a group of new recruits traveling north from Georgia to join the Confederate army. During a breakfast stop, Andrews' Raiders uncoupled the passenger cars and took off with the General, traveling seventy miles on the Western and Atlantic Railway, along the way cutting telegraph wire, uprooting railroad tracks and setting bridges on fire, according to the National Archives.

The group was eventually captured and Andrews was executed by the Confederacy, along with seven of his fellow Raiders. Twelve remaining members of the group were taken prisoner, six of whom were exchanged within a year.

On March 25, 1863, those six exchanged soldiers were summoned to the secretary of war's office, where Edwin M. Stanton greeted them as heroes and surprised them with medallions.

"Congress has by a recent law ordered medals to be prepared… and your party shall have the first," Stanton said upon presenting the first ever Medals of Honor.

Then and now

In the 156 years since that initial ceremony, there have been more than 3,500 Medals of Honor awarded to America's bravest soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen. Among the thousands honored, there are currently 72 living recipients of the MOH. Ranging in age from 29 to 98, the list of living recipients includes four heroes who earned their Medals of Honor in World War II, five who fought in the Korean War, 50 in the Vietnam War, and 13 in the War in Afghanistan.

In 2016, Congress authorized the VA's National Cemetery Administration to issue, upon request, a medallion, headstone or marker signifying a Veteran as a recipient of the Medal of Honor. Two years later, during a private ceremony at West Grove Cemetery in Lexington, Mississippi, the first Medal of Honor Medallion was placed upon the private headstone of Pfc. Milton L. Olive III, a decorated war hero who fought in Vietnam.

"Private First Class Olive was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for his service during the Vietnam War after he heroically used his body to cover a grenade to save the lives of his fellow soldiers," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "The Medal of Honor Medallion illustrates VA's commitment to ensuring all who see this symbol will know of the courageous sacrifice of our nation's distinguished service members."

Each March 25 provides Americans the opportunity to reflect on the heroism of all Medal of Honor recipients, both living and dead. 

March marks Women's History Month, a 31-day observance of female contributions made throughout history and in contemporary society.

The month-long celebration can trace its own history back to the very first National Woman's Day, organized by the Socialist Party of America and held in New York City on Feb. 28, 1909 – a full nine years before American women achieved the right to vote.

On March 19, 1911, the first-ever International Women's Day was celebrated by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, many of whom held demonstrations demanding suffrage and an end to employment sex discrimination. In 1917, after women in Soviet Russia earned the right to vote, March 8 became a national holiday there. International Women's Day was primarily observed in socialist and communist countries, until being taken up by the feminist movement in the late 1960s, and in 1975 the United Nations began celebrating the day.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week, and in 1987 Congress designated the entirety of March as National Women's History Month.

Today Women's History Month provides an occasion to honor women who have broken glass ceilings and claimed major achievements in a variety of fields, including the United States military.

A decorated history of women in the military

Today there are over 216,000 women serving in the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, accounting for over 16 percent of the total number of officers and enlisted personnel.

Women also now comprise 10 percent of the total U.S. veteran population, and represent 20 percent of veterans under the age of 35, according to the Department of Labor.

The very first woman to serve in the American military was Deborah Sampson, who in 1782 enlisted in the Continental Army under a man's name to fight in the Revolutionary War. At one point, she removed a musket ball from her own thigh so that her true gender would not be revealed in surgery. Once her identity was discovered, Sampson was honorably discharged, and her husband received a military widow's pension in 1832, according to The New York Times.

Female enlistees disguised themselves as men during the Mexican-American War and Civil War as well, though most women served as nurses during this period of American history. Most notably, Dr. Mary Walker acted as a surgeon for Union troops, and was held by the Confederacy as a prisoner of war after she crossed enemy lines to treat wounded civilians. To this day, she is the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor.

In the early part of the 20th century, Congress created the Army Nurse Corps and the Navy Nurse Corps. Though they did not possess military rank, nor were they entitled to the same pay or Veterans' Benefits as men, over 21,000 of these nurses served military hospitals both at home and overseas during World War I.

In WWII, roughly 400,000 women served in noncombatant roles, including as nurses, mechanics, clerks, pilots and ambulance drivers. Hundreds more acted as field intelligence agents in the OSS, 88 were taken as POWs and 16 were killed in action, according to Task and Purpose.

In 1948, the Women's Armed Service Integration Act enabled women to become permanent members of the military, rather than only serve during wartime. There was a female presence in America's subsequent wars, with 50,000 women participating in Korea, many as nurses in M.A.S.H. units, and 11,000 deployed to Vietnam, where Commander Elizabeth Barrett became the first woman to hold a command in a combat zone.

Congress authorized women to fly in combat missions and serve on combat ships in 1991 and 1993, and the first female fighter pilots flew combat missions in Iraq in 1998, the same year that Captain Kathleen McGrath became the first woman to command a U.S. Navy warship.

The 21st century has been filled with even more landmarks, including Col. Linda McTague becoming the first woman to command a U.S. Air Force fighter squadron in 2004 and Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody becoming the first woman to achieve four-star officer rank in 2008.

In 2016, the Department of Defense opened all combat jobs to women, without exception, paving the way for even greater female military heroics now and in the future. The following year, the first woman graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer course. Though the female lieutenant requested that her name not be released, the Marines did put out a video that showed her training for her milestone achievement.

This Women's History Month is a great time for all Americans to reflect upon the rich history of women in the military, while also thanking current female officers and enlistees for their service. 

On Wednesday, March 13, patriots and dog lovers alike can join together in saluting our nation's four-legged heroes for National K9 Veterans Day.

This year's holiday will commemorate the 77th anniversary of dogs officially becoming a part of the U.S. Armed Forces. According to Military.com, it was on March 13, 1942, that the Army first began training for its new War Dog Program, known also as the "K-9 Corps."

The United States Postal Service is among those paying tribute, having recently announced a new booklet of 20 stamps that "honors the nation's brave and loyal military working dogs."

According to the USPS, each block of four stamps features one stamp each of the four breeds chosen for inclusion in the booklet: German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd.

The patriotic stamps were designed by art director Greg Breeding, and created by the Los Angeles-based DKNG Studios. The stylized digital images feature red, white, blue and gold coloring, along with illustrations of dogs wearing tactical service vests. In the background of each stamp is the detail of a white star. A full white star on a gold background also appears on the center of each block.

Though an official release date for the military dog stamps has not yet been revealed, the Postal Service did promise that more details on dates and locations for the first-day-of-issue ceremonies would be forthcoming.

A distinguished breed of service

Though the K-9 Corps dates back to WWII, military dogs have been serving in the U.S. military since World War I. The most famous canine veteran of the Great War was a Staffordshire terrier mix named Stubby, who saved many sleeping soldiers by barking and waking them during a German mustard gas attack. According to History.com, Stubby went on to serve in 17 battles and survive at least two major injuries, including shrapnel in his chest and leg, before becoming the first dog to be given the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Armed Forces.

When Sergeant Stubby died in his sleep at the age of 10 in 1926, his remains were gifted to the Smithsonian Institution where they continue to be displayed today.

Examples of canine heroism can be found in more recent conflicts, as well. Just this past November, an Army Ranger dog named Maiko was killed in action during a skirmish in Afghanistan, according to Stars and Stripes. The 7-year-old military working dog was leading Rangers into a compound when he was fired upon by a militant, revealing the militant's position and saving the lives of other soldiers, who then targeted that position.

There is a memorial in Holmdel, New Jersey, that recognizes such sacrifices. Although the War Dog Memorial was originally built to remember only those dogs that served in Vietnam, it now honors all dogs that have served in the United States military.

Today an estimated 2,300 military working dogs serve on U.S. bases worldwide, performing dangerous tasks alongside their human counterparts. These canine warriors often use their noses and smaller sizes to engage in search and rescue missions that more traditional service members are less equipped to complete.

"These military dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs, are putting themselves on the line. They're out in the front lines," Diane Whetsel, head of the Sage Foundation that works to help fund medical services for military dogs, told CNN.

While it may be true that "all dogs go to heaven," surely a special place there is reserved for all of the pups that we remember and pay tribute to on National K9 Veterans Day.

Veterans often have a difficult time finding jobs after leaving the military for a variety of reasons, ranging from employers with unconscious hiring biases to soldiers themselves having skill sets that do not easily translate to the civilian workforce. One potential career path that would provide veterans with the ability to continue doing meaningful work is the role of educator.

For over 25 years, the Troops to Teachers Program has enabled military members with a baccalaureate degree or higher to complete a teaching certification process and become an academic subject teacher for kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Military members who wish to use their unique experiences and knowledge to transform young lives can do so through TTT, and they can even get started while still on active duty.

How to transition to teaching through TTT

All current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces interested in a career in teaching can receive counseling, referrals and job assistance through TTT.

Though a bachelor's degree or higher is required to teach elementary or secondary school, becoming a vocational or technical instructor requires only the equivalent of one year of college and six years work experience in the technical or vocational field in which you wish to teach.

Those who qualify and choose to participate in TTT can receive stipends of up to $5,000 to defray the cost of teacher certification training. There are also bonuses of up to $10,000 available to those who teach in high-needs schools. In order to receive a stipend or bonus, a program participant must commit to teaching for at least three years at targeted schools, typically located in low-income areas.

It's important to keep in mind that Troops to Teachers is not a teacher certification program itself, but rather a program that works through a network of state offices to provide participants with certification counseling, certification tuition funds and referrals for employment leads.

Participants can use an Alternative Certification Program or University Teacher Preparation Program to complete their certification. According to The Balance, those stationed in Europe would likely benefit the most from ACP, since it allows individuals to complete their teaching certification through online courses.

There are 31 state TTT offices operating across the country, providing placement assistance for the more than 50 states and territories that are part of the program. These offices will help military members with state certification requirements, though participants can also use the TTT website to speak with representatives and receive alternative certification information.

A history of serving in uniform and in the classroom

The Troops to Teachers program began in 1993, as a response to the military downsizing of the early nineties and a way to transition service members to a rewarding and vital teaching career. In the last 26 years, more than 20,000 veterans have made their way from the military to the classroom, becoming teachers and establishing the program's credibility and reputation through their impressive performances in the classroom.

"School systems are finding former military members to be very valuable assets," John Gantz, director of the TTT program, told The Balance. "They bring leadership skills, a concern for their students [similar to their troops] and a lot of experience to the classroom."

Over the course of the program, schools have also noticed a higher retention rate from former military members than from teachers who just finished college.

Service members who would like to learn more about the Troops to Teachers Program can obtain more information from their state TTT office, or by visiting www.ProudToServeAgain.com.

Coming straight on the heels of the United States Coast Guard Reserve's 78th birthday on Feb. 19, the U.S. Navy Reserve will celebrate its 104th anniversary on Sunday, March 3, 2019.

Created at the outset of the first World War and active in every major war the U.S. has fought since, the Navy Reserve has been "Ready Now, Anytime, Anywhere" for over a century.

More than 100 years of service

Reservists have been important to America ever since the days of the Revolutionary War, when in 1775 the first citizens took to the sea to fight the British, even before the Continental Congress had created the Continental Navy.

Yet the present institution was not officially formed until March 3, 1915, when legislation was passed to create what was then known as the Naval Reserve Force.

The Reserve resulted from the efforts of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant, a young Franklin D. Roosevelt, who lobbied Congress for funding after the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Once the United States entered the war in 1917, American reservists served in the cockpits of biplanes and hunted down German U-boats.

Despite the dire financial situation the U.S. found itself in during the Great Depression, the Naval Reserve managed to find funding and actually expand with the creation of the Naval Aviation Cadet program and the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. This put the Reserve in a strong position once World War II broke out in 1939, and by 1941 nearly all of its members were serving on active duty. Later that year, it was reservists who fired the first U.S. shots of the second World War, when sailors from Minnesota serving aboard the USS Ward sunk a Japanese mini-submarine outside the entrance to Pearl Harbor.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into the war, the Navy swelled from a force of 383,150 to one of more than 3.4 million. The vast majority of them were reservists, five of whom would go on to serve as U.S. presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Jimmy Carter also served in the Reserve before becoming Commander in Chief, though he did so after the conclusion of WWII.

The Cold War that followed sent naval reservists to Korea and Vietnam, and the organization expanded once more during the defense build-up of the 1980s. In the next decade, over 21,000 reservists supported Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Recognizing the work of today's reservists

In 2005, the Naval Reserve changed to the Navy Reserve.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been more than 70,000 mobilizations of Selected Reservists, and over 4,500 deployments by reservists serving on Full-Time Support. Today there are over 100,000 reservists serving as either the Selected Reserve (SELRES) or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Sailors, amplifying the Navy's core capabilities, such as forward presence, deterrence, sea control, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

According to Military.com, on any particular day, a full quarter of the Navy Reserve is hard at work delivering global operational support to our fleet and combat forces.

On Sunday, March 3, Americans should heed the words of Admiral William J. Fallon, who once urged the nation to "remember that the Reserves, which represent twenty percent of our warfighting force, are absolutely vital to our Navy's ability to fight and win wars now and in the future."

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, the United States Coast Guard Reserve will celebrate its 78th year of being "Semper Paratus," or "Always Ready."

Though still a spring chicken compared to the Coast Guard, which was itself formed in 1790 as one of America's five armed forces, the Coast Guard Reserve's nearly eight decades of history is worth reflecting upon.

From World War II to today, reservists have served our nation proudly, responding to foreign enemies as well as natural disasters. Here is a look back at the rich heritage that many will be observing this Tuesday.

USCG Reserve created just in time to serve in WWII

The U.S. Coast Guard Reserve actually traces its beginnings back to the signing into law of the Coast Guard Reserve Act on June 23, 1939, which created a non-military reserve service made up of volunteer boat owners and yachtsmen, performing the types of tasks handled by today's Auxiliary.

It was not until the Auxiliary and Reserve Act of 1941 was signed into law on Feb. 19, 1941, that the two organizations became separate entities, which is why the Reserve celebrates the 19th as its birthday. The legislation designated the Coast Guard Reserve as a military branch of the Active service, and turned the civilian volunteers into the Auxiliary, creating a separation that still exists to this day.

The service's birth couldn't have come at a more opportune time, as America entered into World War II later that year after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Active Duty "regular reservists" ended up serving side by side with their regular Coast Guard shipmates in all phases of wartime operations, with their heroics on display in locations ranging from Iwo Jima to Normandy.

According to the Reserve, there were 6,800 Reserve Officers, 300 Reserve Warrant Officers and over 135,200 Reserve enlisted by the end of the war, outnumbering the regular Coast Guard by a ratio of five to one.

Evolving roles in the years that followed

After the conclusion of WWII, the Reserve was disbanded, with all of the regular and Temporary Reservists returning to their civilian status.

This remained the case for several years, until a 1948 executive order from President Truman ordered all five branches to "stimulate, enlarge and train" their respective Reserve components. The following year, the first federal funding was finally approved for Coast Guard Reserve units, and in 1950, hundreds of Coast Guard Reservists volunteered for Active Duty in the first year of the Korean War.

During the early phase of the Vietnam War, the Coast Guard Reserve hit peak recruitment numbers, with more than 18,000 members recorded in 1965. Yet numbers dwindled as the conflict wound down, and there was again discussion of disbanding the Reserve, according to Military Benefits.

But in October of 1972, Congress tasked the Coast Guard Reserve with a new mission when it authorized the involuntary call up of Coast Guard Reservists for peacetime assistance. Since then, the Reserve has responded to numerous accidents and natural disasters, including the Mississippi, Ohio and Red River floods, the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, as well as multiple vessel explosions, sinkings and airplane crashes.

More recently, Reservists supported rescue and recovery operations related to the earthquake in Haiti and helped out in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, and participated in the recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Today, as it enters its 78th year, the United States Coast Guard Reserve continues to uphold its Semper Paratus pledge, promising to be always ready, whether at home or overseas, and whether man-made or natural. 

Life Happens, a non-profit organization formed in 1994, was created to encourage Americans to take personal financial responsibility by obtaining life insurance and related products.

To educate the public on the importance of life insurance, Life Happens communicates its message through a variety of outreach strategies, including advertising, informational programs, public-service announcements and a variety of social media posts. The organization also coordinates three industry-wide awareness campaigns each year, including Life Insurance Awareness Month in September, Disability Insurance Awareness Month in May and the Insure Your Love campaign that takes place each January or February.

This year's campaign is already in full swing, reminding Americans across the country that life is for living.

2019 campaign centers on "Life is for Living" theme

This year's annual Insure Your Love campaign is based on the success of the organization's tearjerker "Life is for Living" video.

The 90-second video, which debuted late last year, features a young girl getting ready for bed. Before going to sleep, she pulls out a picture book titled "Life is for Living." Her father appears sitting beside her in the bedroom, and he begins narrating the book to his daughter as she turns the pages. The text of the book encourages the reader to keep living on, even when loved ones are gone.

As the young girl finishes the book and drifts off to sleep, the video reveals that the father was never really there, as he has passed on, and the book was meant to reassure the daughter that she and her widowed mother will still be safe and protected without him. 

The short film ends with the words, "Make sure your loved ones live on… with life insurance."

The emotionally resonant video is meant to express the message that although life insurance can never make up for the loss of a loved one, it can ensure that your family remains financially secure even after you are no longer there to provide for them.

Insure Your Love campaign offers facts and resources

This message is further echoed by the other resources that Life Happens is putting out this month as part of its annual Insure Your Love campaign.

The non-profit organization is using this moment to remind Americans of some unpleasant yet sobering statistics, such as the fact that more than one-third of households would feel the financial impact within a month if the primary wage earner died. Similarly, a 2018 Insurance Barometer Study found that a third of respondents wished their spouse or partner had more life insurance. 

Other figures show that the issue is sometimes complicated more by priorities and perceptions than inability to afford life insurance. For example, the same Insurance Barometer study found that 61 percent of people don't buy any or more life insurance because they have "other financial priorities," while nearly half of all millennials overestimate the cost of life insurance by as much as five times the actual amount.

Those who would like a firmer grasp on the real costs of life insurance can use some of the tools found on the Life Happens website, which allows you to calculate how much your family would need in the event of your passing, and how much it would cost you to provide such coverage.

Originally known as the LIFE Foundation, Life Happens was formed in 1994 by seven leading insurance producer organizations, and now receives financial support from more than 140 of the nation's leading insurance and financial services organizations. The non-profit organization does not endorse any specific products or companies, however, and exists only to encourage consumers to seek out the protection they need for themselves and their families.

Black History Month can trace its origins back 50 years, to when black educators at Kent State University first proposed the idea in February 1969. The following year, the public research college in Northeastern Ohio observed the first Black History Month, which since then has expanded across the United States, as well as to Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and  Ireland.

While African Americans have made countless positive contributions to our country's cultural, economic and political fabric, their service in our nation's armed forces deserves special recognition. From the 5,000 black soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War to the Tuskegee Airmen who piloted bombers in WWII, African Americans have been serving the United States since it's inception, even at times when the U.S. failed to serve them.

And of the many pioneering black servicemen and women worthy of praise, special attention should be given to Lillian E. Fishburne, who in 1998 became the first African-American woman to hold the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

The life and career of Rear Adm. Fishburne

Lillian Elaine Fishburne was born into a naval family in Patuxent River, Maryland, on March 25, 1949–just one year after the integration of minorities and women in the military.

Fishburne was raised in Rockville, Maryland, by an active-duty father who never doubted his daughter's military ambitions. After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Lincoln University in 1971, she spent two years at the Women Officers School at Newport, Rhode Island, becoming an ensign after graduating in February 1973.

According to Black Past, Fishburne's first naval assignment was serving as a personnel and legal officer at the Naval Air Test Facility in Lakehurst, New Jersey. She went on to act as an Officer Programs recruiter in Miami, then as the officer in charge of the Naval Telecommunications Center at the Great Lakes, Illinois Naval Base.

Fishburne then went back to school for another two years, earning her Master of Arts in Management from Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. She spent the next two years at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, graduating with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Systems Management in 1982.

Thanks to appointments to positions such as executive officer at the Naval Communications Command in Yokosuka, Japan, and special projects officer for the Navy's Command, Control, and Communications Directorate, Fishburne was eventually selected for the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

After becoming Chief of the Command and Control Systems Support Division in Washington, D.C., and commanding the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific, in Hawaii, Fishburne made history by attaining the rank of Rear Admiral on Feb. 1, 1998, and was promoted by President Bill Clinton.

A legacy of heroism

Fishburne retired in February 2001, with a long list of decorations that included the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, and the Navy Achievement Medal.

During a 1998 ceremony to honor Fishburne, along with other military members, Secretary of Defense William Cohen delivered a speech in which he quoted novelist and retired Air Force Maj. Albert Murray as saying, "Heroism… is measured in terms of the stress and strain it can endure, and the magnitude and complexity of the obstacles that it overcomes… which bring out the best in [heroes]."

"Considering the stresses and strains endured by African-Americans in the defense of our country, it's little wonder that we have so many heroes among us," Secretary Cohen added, according to Military.com.

Retired Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne is just one of the many heroes that all Americans should reflect upon and honor during Black History Month.

First responders put their lives on the line, rushing into dangerous fires, accidents, emergencies and natural disasters before anyone else.

Yet the immense physical risks involved in being a first responder are in many cases less severe than the danger of psychological scarring.

An alarming report commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation recently revealed that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, according to WGN.

The study found that the mental health effects of experiencing or witnessing trauma, grisly accidents, shootings and more has led to a rate of PTSD and depression for police and firefighters that is five times higher than the civilian population.

It's a disturbing national trend, and one that will be difficult to eradicate, but at least one state is seeking a legislative cure for the problem.

West Virginia legislators trying to provide workers comp to first responders with PTSD

Lawmakers in West Virginia are pushing to pass a bill that would make first responders suffering from PTSD eligible for workers compensation.

The issue is sadly relevant to Bob Coleman, a retired firefighter who lost his son, Chris, to suicide last year. At the time of Chris' death, he was following in his father's footsteps as a first responder with the Huntington Fire Department.

"We hope that no other family has to go what we went through," Coleman told WOWK. "A physical injury is compensatable but a mental injury should be, too. Us first responders…. firefighter, EMS, police… we see things that we can't unsee."

That sentiment was echoed by Ceredo Fire Chief Dave Caudill, who spoke with WVAH about the stressful situations first responders deal with constantly, and the corresponding mental toll.

"Everybody can't do first responder work because you see a lot of stuff that really you shouldn't have to see," Caudill told the local news outlet. "I've actually seen situations over the years where you have somebody who's never really dealt with that before get into that situation and… that's the end of their career."

Such occurrences could be higher than the average person might suspect: A study conducted by the University of Phoenix found that 85 percent of all first responders deal with some sort of mental illness at some point during their career.

Bills introduced in both House and Senate

The effort to better care for the mental wellbeing of first responders appears to have the support of many local lawmakers, as legislators in both the House and the Senate have introduced bills that would provide worker compensation to first responders diagnosed with PTSD.

"This is a life or death issue," Cabell County Delegate Chad Lovejoy, who sponsored the House's version of the bill, told WOWK. "We have men and women whose lives are being taken, sometimes at their own hands, sometimes by coping mechanics. This is not a small undertaking, but this could really save some lives."

According to the language of the legislation, a first responder would need to be diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed psychiatrist, and the traumatic incident must have occurred on the job.

Although a similar bill was unsuccessfully introduced last session, Lovejoy remains optimistic that this new attempt will have a different result.

"More people have come on board," Lovejoy said. "I think we have seen the trend here and more people recognize how big of a problem this actually is."