“He was a great man, a great husband, a great father, a great son,” Hope Harrison, the wife of now-deceased Dustin Harrison, said.
Dustin was working as a pilot for a company with a defense contract when Al-Shabab terrorists attacked the airfield in Kenya that he was stationed at earlier this month.
Dustin and two others were killed in the attack.
Hope Harrison said she got the news in a phone call that night around 7:30 PM.
“Letting me know that -- that my whole world crumbled at that moment and it is still shattered,” Hope said.
Hope said she met Dustin in 2015 and they fell for each other almost immediately, describing their relationship as a "fairy tale."
"“I just had this sense I could never live without you,” Hope said.
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Soon after the two became three, with the birth of their daughter Heaven.
“When she was born, he just sat there, he just stared at her," Hope said. "She had become his world.”
Hope said her daughter adored her father.
"I look at her and I see him, I see his smile (in) her eyes." Hope said. "I snuggle with her and I hug her when I miss him."
Dustin's job required him to be overseas, usually a couple of months at a time. But Heaven was never far from his mind.
"He had big plans for her future, when he got home he always talking of taking her to the zoo," Hope said.
Dustin was a pilot, something he always wanted to do as a little child.
But on the day of his death, Hope said she sensed something was wrong.
She saw the news of the attack and continued to text him throughout the day, receiving no response.
When she received a call, she said she knew what the call would be.
"It was like I stepped in the twilight zone. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t believe, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it," Hope said.
Since Dustin's death there has been support from around the world for the Harrisons.
Hope's neighbors in Gilbert put up 150 American flags to show their support, while many other offered their condolences.
Hope said she is proud her husband is being remembered as a hero, even though that won't make it that much easier for the young girl now missing a father.
"From a fairy tale point-of-view, you know it’s a beautiful story. Your daddy was a hero," Hope said.
"But in reality, she doesn’t have her daddy. She asks for him, she wants to call him."
Hope said neighbors and those who knew Dustin said they will make sure they are cared for, acting as surrogate fathers for Heaven.
Hope said she is so thankful for all the prayers and condolences she has received and the support from contractors and military alike.
She said her husband was the type of man willing to help out all who needed it, both here and abroad. She hopes his death may inspire others to act like he would.
If you would like to help Hope and Heaven, they are asking first for your prayers.
There will be a celebration of life Saturday in Tucson, which is open to the public. The details can be found here.
A GoFundMe for the family can be found here.