Those who gave their lives during America's wars are honored on Memorial Day, but this year one veterans' group hopes people will specifically remember 65,502 of them, the number who died serving the United States since the beginning of the Vietnam War.
One father spent half his life in the Army. Another loved marathons, and another loved fishing and hunting.
Each were soldiers and parents, and 13 of their children will honor their memory with a Memorial Day 5K run Monday in Fayetteville.
Since April 10, the children have spent their Saturdays training with soldiers who have served as their mentors.
They’ve met at Clark Park in Fayetteville playing games
and sharing what’s on their minds, gathering in a circle to proclaim who they are running in memory of, and being encouraged to run.
The national organization was founded by Lisa Hallett after her husband, Capt. John Hallett,30, was killed when returning from a mission in Afghanistan in August 2009.
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TYSONS, Va. and SEATTLE, May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ PenFed Credit Union, the nation s second largest federal credit union, today announced a partnership with
wear blue: run to remember, a national nonprofit building a community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military through active remembrance. Together, on Memorial Day, they are joining the tens of thousands of surviving spouses, children, parents and siblings who still grieve the loss of a service member killed in combat operations to build a national living memorial dedicated to our nation s fallen military heroes.
Gold Star Child Joseph Milledge, Jr. carries a flag in honor of his father, U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph Milledge, Sr.
abc s jesse palmer with the story. good job. good job! reporter: lisa hallett is a military mom with a very important mission. wear blue provides that sense that we re not alone in remembering our service members. reporter: when her husband, captain john hallet was killed in afghanistan in 2009, lisa turned to running. when i was in high school, i remember saying i m going to marry john hallett. reporter: lisa and john grew up together and were married at their childhood church in 2003. it was just the perfect match. reporter: the couple had three children. love you. i love you, too. jackson, bryce, and their youngest, heidi, born just days after john deployed. john called and said, i never heard her cry. i said, my gosh, don t worry about it. we have a lifetime for that. reporter: three weeks later, lisa got the news that john had been killed. my world was rocked. reporter: now a widow, lisa quickly realized she wasn t running from her heartbreak but inst