The day was filled with bittersweet moments.Green Bay, Wisconsin (WBAY) The Green Bay Packers, in collaboration with a national non-profit, invited the families of five slain military men to Lambeau Field for a day of events and surprises.
“It’s one you want to be thrilled about, but when you look around, you realise we’re all here because we all lost someone, and losing someone is always difficult, but the military has its own navigation, because at first, it’s like, oh, he was just sent again. He’ll be back in a year, I won’t have to hear from him every day, and then the reality sinks in, as if he’s not deployed. “He’ll never come home,” said Anthony Mirecki, who lost his brother-in-law, Sgt. Zac Wyman of the United States Army.
The gathering was intended to honour loved ones whose service is exceptional.
“He began flying Air Force One and eventually became the commander of Air Force One; he was the 14th presidential pilot in the United States, flying both Bush and Obama.” “He was a commander during Obama’s tenure,” said Alison Banholzer, who lost her husband, Col David Banholzer of the United States Air Force.
The Green Bay Packers and the non-profit TAPS, which stands for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, collaborated to honour the sacrifices of five military personnel.
“It was life-altering what happened to my brother, but events like this just make me feel a sense of community and connectedness to others who have gone through similar situations,” Kat Wopat, the mother, said. Her older brother was Cllr. Stephen Shannon.
“I think the acknowledgement is very comforting, just to acknowledge that that person existed, that there was love there,” Teresa Schrachta told the reporter. Her son, LCPL Alexander Schrachta, served in the United States Marine Corps.
The day was intense, with one surprise following another. Mark Murphy visited by and gave each family a challenge coin, which is an informal military custom. Andrew Hardaway joined the military because of his uncle and godfather; he presented his military coin to his uncle, who was his first salute.
“It was very, very meaningful to get this from our GM here at Green Bay, just a full circle to be here,” according to Hardaway.
Five Green Bay Packers players helped the families make and paint their handmade wooden flags.
“I think you probably know what I’m going to say; that little girl coming up and hugging me was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, so that was definitely my favourite moment,” said Josh Myers, Green Bay Packers centre.
This event is part of the Green Bay Packers’ Military Appreciation Week, which honours the legacy of deceased soldiers.
“I think it’s probably one of the greatest gifts that I’ve ever received and have been able to be a part of to be able impact someone’s day positively in a way that hopefully we just for all these people is something I’ll never take for granted, it’s incredibly special, it’s the best part of doing this,” Myers told me.
The Lambeau Field tour highlighted the fallen service members on the enormous scoreboards before revealing another surprise: each family would receive two tickets to the Salute to Service game. They’ll also be able to meet some Packers alumni at the game.
“My uncle and I often talked about attending to a Packers game. “I was not expecting that at all,” said Andrew Hardaway, whose uncle was Timothy Roberts of the United States Marine Corps.
The families expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honour their loved ones, ensuring that their memory lives on even when they are not there.
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