Today, I salute Vietnam Marine Veteran Scott Harrison. During the darkest moments of the Vietnam War, a 19-year-old Marine named Scott Harrison found an unexpected source of hope: a tiny music box sent by his sister. The soft notes of the music box transported Harrison away from the chaos, filling his mind with the calming image of a carousel spinning peacefully in a mountain meadow. Decades later, that daydream became a reality — not just for Harrison, but for millions of others. After the war, Harrison struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and turned to alcohol to cope. But the vision of that carousel stayed with him. In 1986, he found a discarded carousel and brought the frame to his home in Colorado, where he started carving animals and refurbishing it. On Memorial Day in 2010, the Carousel of Happiness officially opened to the public. What began as one man’s journey to heal has now brought joy to more than a million people. The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit with a simple mission: to spread joy. And for Harrison, it’s been life-changing. Thank you for your kindness, Scott, and THANK YOU for your service.
