The women gathered their arms around each other and smiled, knowing they were and are there for each other and tears welled up in their eyes. Each one was remembering her own son or daughter who died fighting for America.
The women of the American Gold Star Mothers Inc. in Northwest Arkansas presented the memorial wreath Monday at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Fayetteville National Cemetery.
Tami Boyett of Rogers serves with the Gold Star Mothers. Boyett’s son, Cpl. Chad S. Wade, died in Afghanistan on Dec. 1, 2010.
Wade served in Iraq and had the choice to go to Afghanistan. He was a radio operator and decided to serve with his friends in his unit by going to Afghanistan.
“He was a very faithful and loyal friend,” Boyett said. “I told him to do what he felt was right, even though he didn’t have to go.”
Wade died five weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.
Since Wade’s death, Boyett has been very active in supporting the men and women who serve in the military. She goes out of her way to thank members of the military she sees in the community. She buys them meals at restaurants and volunteers at the cemetery just about every week. She founded Wings For Our Troops, a foundation that pays for trips home for those in the service before or after deployment.
Boyett said not a week goes by where she doesn’t have contact with one of the men who served with Wade. She said they all call her “Momma Bear.”
“They feel an obligation to Chad to check up and take care of me, because he can’t now,” Boyett said.
She said that she attends Memorial Day ceremonies as a way to keep supporting her son’s decision to become a Marine.
“In all seriousness, Memorial Day is really sad and bittersweet because people like my son died,” Boyett said. “It’s not just a long weekend for a party, this is a day that we should remember the people that lost their lives for us.”
As the wind blew the flags at the ceremony, the people of Northwest Arkansas honored the fallen by gathering to sing patriotic songs. They stood and placed their hand over their hearts or saluted when pledging to the flag, when taps was played by buglers or when the Composite Squadron No. 115, Civil Air Patrol performed the honor and recognition of colors.
A handful of veterans were recognized and stood proudly. One man, Eugene Keister, who served in World War II, was asked to read a poem he wrote. When his name was called, he spritely walked to the podium, stopping first to salute the flag and then unfolded the pieces of ruled notebook paper that he had written the poem on. He recited it, expressing his pride to be an American.
Young Sara Gardner of Fayetteville spoke about what the American flag meant to her in the flag etiquette speech at the ceremony.
“Respecting our flag is done by honoring our veterans, it is honoring our heroes and today, I’m proud to be an American,” she said.