BOZEMAN – It was a rainy, gloomy day of remembrance when Bozeman unveiled Montana’s first Gold Star family memorial.
“We don’t want our loved ones to be forgotten. They were sacrificed for this county. It’s very important that they be remembered and honored,” says Gail Maehl, a member of the Gold Star family.
Dozens gathered at Sunset Hills Cemetery Monday afternoon as it rained steadily, with the Bozeman community celebrating Memorial Day. The day is more special in Bozeman, as the city becomes home to the first Montana Gold Star Memorial and the 100th in the county.
“It means a lot when people come out, especially when the weather is like that and they support our troops, they support our veterans, they really support the United States,” Maehl says.
Maehl is a member of a Gold Star family; his brother, Captain Michael MacKinnon, died in combat in 2005 while in Iraq.
“He was on a second tour in Iraq when he was killed by an IED and left a wife and two children; I was only 30, ”says Maehl.
Maehl says his life was devoted to the service of this country.
“My brother was a graduate of West Point. So military was his career, “says Maehl.
Maehl calls Missoula at home and says that the support of the whole state, the country and abroad has been tremendous.
“The state of Montana is amazing,” Maehl says. “It’s been amazing, like people from all over the country, even the world has come and the support has meant everything.
The opening ceremony included a reading by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) in the Congressional Register in honor of Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams of the Woody Williams Foundation, which helps place gold star monuments in the whole county.
It also included a blessing and a prayer, with a traditional 21-gun salute at the end, and “Taps” were heard throughout the cemetery.
“I feel honored to be part of the Gold Star family in the sense that no one wants to be in this group, but the friendships and quality people we’ve met have meant it all,” says Maehl.