Rachel’s Bible with the note card she read during a tough moment, along with letters from friends and family and a postcard from Everest.
May 24, 2016: Harold standing at 29,029 feet on the summit of Mount Everest with Sherpa An Doja (notice Harold didn’t have his goggles).
Rachel traveling in Guatemala while Harold was on Everest.
The vase Harold brought back from Tibet from his expedition, along with a sweet letter to Rachel.
Celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary with a romantic picnic inside our house at Fort Benning.
A card Rachel made for Harold and left on the door to surprise him after they were in a funk.
Last few moments together before Harold left for Ranger School.
Acknowledgments
Many people throughout the years have helped us get to where we are today. There aren’t enough pages to name every person and contribution, but we wanted to publicly thank a few who have made it possible.
HAROLD
Connor Love, without your help, none of this would have happened. To say “thank you” hardly suffices for the amount of work you put in. You dedicated hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to selflessly help the cause. Your leadership and ability to solve problems were instrumental; I felt like we were constantly running into obstacles, but your resolve enabled us to keep knocking them down. I am so thankful to consider you one of my closest friends. Thanks so much for believing in me, our team, and our mission.
CSM Burnett, there is no one I look up to more than you. I respect how you lead and love your family, and I strive to emulate that. You have always “cared that much” and have left a lasting impression on me. Thank you for cofounding USX and for your involvement in helping veterans across the country.
Tommy, you have always been my best friend and someone I’ve looked up to from the moment we met on the West Forsyth baseball field. You have been there for me on my best days and on my worst. Thanks for heeding the call and stepping into the challenging role of Base Camp manager. Without your hard work sending late-night emails, carrying heavy communication gear, and so on, our awareness campaign for PTSD would not have been the success it was. I love you, partner, and I look forward to many more decades of friendship as we raise our families together.
Melissa Thomas, you believed in me from the very beginning. I’ll never forget our first phone call when you shared about MAJ Thomas and expressed your willingness to help support us in any way, saying, “I know this is something Chris would have loved to do.” I am so thankful that over the years we have developed the friendship we have today.
Dave, you are knowledgeable, experienced, and a joy to be around. I am so impressed by your intellect and ability to think critically and solve problems. The only way any media footage made it back home was because you captured it and found ways to send it. Undoubtedly, we were able to reach the many veterans we did because of your role.
Chad, my man! You are inspiring. I still have distinct memories of being absolutely dog tired on the mountain and looking up to see you trucking along, carrying on a conversation with a smile on your face. I love your enthusiasm for life and your easygoing personality.
Amy Summers, what a blessing you were in raising awareness for our cause! I appreciate how open and honest you were with me. You never sugarcoated things, and I love that about you. I know we certainly didn’t pay you as much as you deserved, but you went above and beyond to help us touch others.
CPT Matt Hickey, I would have loved more than anything to have you standing beside me on the summit, but fate had other plans. You were the first person, outside of Rachel, to believe in me, even when I had zero climbing experience. We formed USX together and worked relentlessly to make this dream a reality. I greatly appreciate your mentorship and guidance along the way.
An Doja, I was grateful to have such a seasoned climber and friend by my side. Thank you for believing in me and helping me accomplish my dream. I wish you and your family the best. Here’s to many more successful summits.
Rachel Kirby, you stepped in at an absolutely critical and tough time to run social media for USX. I was so grateful to have your help in raising awareness and keeping families up to date with our progress on the mountain. Love you, cuz.
Em, your drive and determination from the very beginning blew me away. I’ll never forget connecting with you after that Army Times article and knowing immediately that you were the right fit. You were an integral addition, and I am grateful to have such a stud on our team.
RACHEL
Mom, thank you for showing up for us in the lonely hours of both Everest and the book-writing process. You truly championed us by posting thorough Facebook updates that garnered quite the following and by stepping in to communicate with family members when I was unable. You helped with book edits when I was preparing to give birth to Wyatt, and you watched the boys on several occasions so I could write. Your support has meant the world to me.
Morgan, thank you for your constant friendship and for cheering me on through every new dream of mine. You’ve supported my YouTube dream from the very beginning and lifted me up during my low moments. I will always remember that. I aspire to be the kind of friend you are.
BOTH OF US
To our children: Mom and Dad love you so much—more than you’ll ever know. One day when you can read this, we want you to know that we will always support your dreams and passions and encourage you to seek out experiences that help you grow as people and in your faith. Embrace your inner creativity and imagination. Pursue what you love, and chances are you’ll find joy and purpose along the way.
To our immediate and extended families: thank you for your constant love and support as we embarked on a dangerous and crazy journey at a time when we were still trying to figure out how to live on our own as newlyweds. We realize we may have caused many sleepless nights for you, especially around the time of the summit push, but know that individually and together, we have grown into better people as a result. Thanks for enabling us to pursue our dreams!
To our Earls Fam community: we love you and consider you an extension of our family! Thank you for being there to talk with, cry with, and share our life with. Blessings to each and every one of you!
Bryan Norman, there are few people in this world we trust as much as you. We can’t thank you enough for your dedication to helping make this happen. You were the one who got this thing off the ground, and we know we’re where we are now because of you. Thanks for your friendship, mentorship, and guidance along the way. We look forward to many more years together. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Travis Thrasher, God sent you at literally the perfect time. We had hit many roadblocks with the book and were really discouraged. Your timeliness and ability to creatively restructure and edit the book turned it into something special. We are so grateful you came alongside us and brought the story to life. Thank you!
Becky Nesbitt, you are such a kind, caring, and make-it-happen kind of person. We are thankful to have you in our lives and thankful for your help in shaping the story the way you did. Your calming demeanor guided the way to turn the story into something we’re really proud of. We love your hands-on approach and authenticity in caring about our story. We hope to work with you again in the future!
Karen Robison, you are such a blessing in our lives! You selflessly dedicated dozens of hours to help bring the book home. Your editing skills were invaluable and shaped our story in a meaningful way. Thank you for your encouragement and for being such a positive addition to our team.
To the WaterBrook and Penguin Random House publishing team: thank you for believing in our story and allowing us to influence others through this platform you have given us. We are forever grateful.
Susy, thanks for putting in the time to help bring our book to
life. We enjoyed our many phone calls as we laughed together and shared stories. Blessings to you, and best of luck going forward.
Katie Robinson, you are gifted in capturing emotion through the lens of a camera, even in the cold December air. Our book cover would not be the same without you.
Veterans and families, this country is indebted to the sacrifice you have bestowed on this land we love. We thank all our past and present service members and their families. Service is a lifelong commitment, and many of the sacrifices you made left lasting wounds that you are still dealing with today. Know that we love you, appreciate you, and are praying for you daily. May God continue to bless you, your families, and the great US of A.
Special thanks to the companies and individual sponsors who supported the USX Everest expedition: Tony Farwell, Marc Van Buskirk, Staffan Encrantz, Mr. Urban, Toni Guzzi, Nick Farwell, the entire GovX team, Sebastian Junger, Nick Curry, Summit Climb, Colin Dunlap, Nick Anthony, Bryant Skarda, Jason Reid, Anesti Vega, Benji Marquez, MG. Medvigy, the entire USX team, Harold’s Army commanders, Zac Brown and Southern Ground.
About the Authors
CAPTAIN HAROLD EARLS IV is an active-duty Army officer currently serving as the Commander of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Well-spoken and passionate, Harold has a deep love for his country, which has led him on a path of service. At his core, he is a family man and playful father and can almost always be found smiling or making someone laugh. He is a graduate of West Point and is US Army Airborne/Ranger qualified.
RACHEL EARLS is a beloved vlogger, business owner, Army wife, and mother, and she is the founder of Earls Family Foundation. Rachel graduated cum laude from Florida State University, where she was heavily involved in service projects for organizations including the FSU Wesley Foundation and the Chi Omega sorority. She also hosts the Earls Family Vlogs, which has millions of views on YouTube and nearly half a million subscribers who tune in regularly for Rachel and Harold’s discussions on faith, family life, and love.
Earls Family Foundation
As you have read, Harold and Rachel have a heart for the Lord and a deep desire to uplift and support their community. Since beginning a YouTube channel, the family receives hundreds of messages from followers asking for support while sharing stories. With a strong desire to make a tangible difference through helping others, Harold and Rachel felt empowered to “use whatever gift[s] you have received to serve others” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV). In this spirit, they created the Earls Fam Foundation.
This foundation, a fully credited and registered 501(c)(3) organization, works to provide for the expanding Earls Fam community through service projects, scholarship programs, veteran support, help for families, support for moms, Christmas blessings, and much more! Together, Harold and Rachel pour their time, finances, and hearts into this community, which feels like an extension of their beloved family. They cry with you, laugh with you, share in your struggles and successes, walk beside you in your sorrows, and cheer on your victories. Bonded together, the community is stronger as we all strive to “Love God, love people, make a difference, and be thankful.”
Please consider joining the Earls Fam Foundation. Join the community as a prayer warrior and receive emailed updates and prayer lists. Support the foundation financially with a tax-deductible donation. Or plan to join with them as they meet for community-service projects. For more information and to get involved today, visit earlsfam.org.
A Higher Calling Page 19