Remembering a love story that ended too soon

Valentines Day is a day to remember people you love. For most of the day that is exactly what Wounded Times plans on doing. We'll start with the story of Kevin Harden and Lillian May.

 February 1, 2012

Wounded combat medic's love story ended too soon

Wounded Warrior, Married in Mesquite, Dies
Posting Date: 01/31/2012

By John Taylor

Army medic Kevin Hardin died Jan. 22 of

injuries sustained in Iraq. He and his wife

Lillian received a storybook wedding a year ago

thanks to the Eureka and the Mesquite

community. Photo provided.

Slightly more than a year has passed since the storybook wedding in Mesquite of former Army medic Kevin Hardin to the woman who cared for him at Walter Reed Army Hospital after he was severely injured when a rocket propelled grenade slammed into his Humvee during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq in 2007.

Hardin spent two years in the hospital and was forced to undergo 32 surgeries and a lengthy, painful rehabilitation. During his recovery, Hardin met Lillian May who cared for him through the painful times. Over the course of two years Hardin was receiving medical treatments, the couple fell in love.

In August, 2009, Hardin proposed to May but the reality was he was severely injured including injuries to both arms, a fused wrist and loss of fingers. He also had several pieces of shrapnel in his brain which were inoperable. After being medically retired from the military, he was without a job.

KVBC News 3 Story about Christmas Can Cure 2010.

The Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite, NV hosted the wedding of wounded warrior Kevin Hardin and his bride Lillian over Veteran's Day Weekend 2010. Las Vegas news channel 3, KVBC, was there. Interviews with: 1) Kevin and Lillian Hardin, 2) Christmas Can Cure Founder and Eureka COO Andre Carrier.

This gift was made possible by the Eureka Casino Resort, Christmas Can Cure and the Wounded Warrior Project as well as many local partners in the greater Mesquite area.

"We picked the song I hope you Dance, because we strongly feel it is what Kevin would wish for his friends and more importantly his family. It was an honor to of known Kevin and be counted among his friends. His sudden death was a shock to everyone. He served his country with pride and left behind a beautiful wife who carries on his legacy.."