A year ago this month, Justin Crowley-Smilek, a U.S. Army Ranger and war veteran, was shot and killed in Farmington. His death, while tragic and heart-breaking to all those who knew and loved him, has also been a catalyst for positive change.

In March, a bill sponsored by Rep. Maeghan Maloney, establishing a veterans court in Maine, was signed into law in Justin’s memory. Justin’s mother has worked with Veterans For Peace to set up the Justin Crowley-Smilek scholarship fund that provides assistance for educational programs on PTSD and other related issues. His father and stepmother have been speaking to local organizations that assist veterans transitioning back into civilian life. Fellow veterans are also working diligently to increase public awareness and expand available services.

All those efforts have been put forth with the hope that a compassionate, educated society will stand prepared to assist those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for them.

It has been said that in war, there are no unwounded soldiers. Justin knew those wounds all too well. The story of his life and the tragedy of his death illuminated the struggles of returning veterans and the inadequate preparation we, as a society, made to receive them.

In his short 28 years on Earth, he sparked a wave of positive change in an area long ignored. May all of us do our part to keep that wave going.

Kelley Wescott, Portland, Ore.