| VIDEO First Gold Star Mother's Day In Lafayette Mothers Remember Fallen Soldiers KGO By Tomas Roman LAFAYETTE, Calif. Sep. 23, 2007 (KGO) - Gold star mother's day is being commemorated today with the laying of flowers on the crosses of men and women killed in the Iraq war here at the memorial in Lafayette. Laura Zucker sang a song called Memorial Day which she composed. Gold star mom Karen Meredith learned her son Kenneth Michael Ballard was killed on Memorial Day 2004. "I will never get to plan a wedding I'll never have grandchildren. I'll never know the adult we were going to travel," said Gold star mother Karen Meredith. This is the first gold star mother's day held in Lafayette. It's a day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created for the mothers who lost children to war. Karen Meredith says she raised her son as a single mom. "I was thinking that it would be really bad if her were killed because I worked so hard to raise him and put him out in the world to be his own man," said Meredith. Volunteers say it's hard to keep up with crosses for those who have fallen in Iraq. They're more than 200 crosses short of the actual count of the 3,798. It pains volunteer Jeff Heaton to place these crosses. "It's a solemn experience. I feel like I'm participating in digging a grave," said memorial caretaker Jeff Heaton. Many of these mourners are against the war in Iraq but say that these troops contribution to their country should never be overlooked or questioned. There is still a great deal of controversy regarding the Lafayette memorial. Many people want it removed saying it insults the memory of those killed in Iraq and demoralizes those there now. for now the memorial stands. Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5664344 |
Search GSFSO
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
First Gold Star Mother's Day In Lafayette