Gold Star

Memorial Day honors those who have fallen while on active duty in any of our military branches. 

Families who suffered the loss of a loved one in this way are called Gold Star families. While the rest of us try to honor and remember our fallen soldiers on this special holiday, the families are in no danger of forgetting. They live with it every day. Memorial Day is personal to them.

U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Neiberger was killed in action August 6, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. His sister, Ami, keeps his memory alive this way:

"My brother died three days after his 22nd birthday. I try to honor and remember him by sharing photos of what his life was like, and I usually visit his grave site in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery. I also help other families honor their loved ones by assisting with the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation and their efforts to honor our fallen troops with flowers, which is helping bring back the original meaning of Memorial Day. The holiday used to be known as Decoration Day, and families would bring flowers to the cemeteries to decorate the grave sites of their loved ones."

this story and more at The Stream