Pueblo Memorial Day service honors Gold Star mothers, families
Memorial Day means so much more than a day off from work for many in Pueblo. Planes could be seen flying overhead to herald the occasion as dozens came out to the Pueblo Riverwalk to honor our country’s fallen soldiers.
This Memorial Day, the services in Pueblo also honored Gold Star mothers and families who are fighting their own battles every day.
Two Gold Star mothers, who both lost sons in the war in Afghanistan, were keynote speakers at Monday’s service.
Both say the grief they feel will never go away. But it’s days like Memorial Day and events like the one at the Riverwalk that let them know people appreciate their sons and family’s sacrifice.
“He loved Colorado, and he loved his country with his entire person,” said Gold Star mother Tamara Horns when she took the podium Monday.
Horns was one of the keynote speakers. Her son, Army PFC Christopher Horns, died in Afghanistan after stepping on an IED in 2011.
“I wanted them to know my son,” said Horns. “I wanted them to know his heart.”
That’s why Horns spent much of her speech telling the crowds of who Christopher was growing up: a BMX rider who found his calling in life when he joined the Army.
For Tamara and her family, Monday this was the first time they were able to share their sons’ stories in public. They wanted to do it right.
“I wanted people to know Chris as more than just a soldier,” said Horns. “I didn’t know Chris as a soldier, he died before he came home. Again, I wanted them to know his heart.”
“It will never heal it’s still the same pain, and I think of him every day,” said Gold Star mother Misi Robinson-Moser, the second keynote speaker.
Robinson-Moser lost her son, Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Robinson, to the fighting in Afghanistan as well. The marine was killed by a sniper while stationed in Afghanistan in 2011. It was Robinson’s fourth tour.
Moser is the President American Gold Star Mothers Pikes Peak Region.
“It helps to know other people care,” said Moser. “They’re hearing his name and they will carry that onto the next generation, and be able to continue days like today.”
Ultimately, the message both mothers wanted to send when they took the podium Monday — freedom has a face and will never be free.
Horns and Moser weren’t the only Gold Star mothers present. Several families were given gold flowers to honor their fallen children and their families unending sacrifice.
