WYOMING, Mich. — John Burri remembers the legacy of his son, Eric, each day.
“Oh, do we miss you,” said John during a visit to Eric’s grave in Wyoming on Monday. “We’re proud of you.”
John tries to do the same for those like Eric too, especially on the last Monday of May when people around the United States observe Memorial Day.
“I stop and I pause and I think of the families who mourn the death of their loved ones, like my wife, Joanne, and I do,” said John.
He explains in June 2005, Eric died while overseas in Iraq with the U.S. Army. A bomb exploded near the 21-year-old paratrooper’s vehicle.
“He was my fishing buddy,” said John. “He was my adventuresome boy that went to Cedar Point and rode the roller coasters. We went to the Grand Canyon slept above in a tent for two nights.”
John says Eric’s death took away a young man with a passion for kids and other cultures. He enlisted a few years after the 9/11 attacks and hoped to make a difference.
“He wanted to be a part of doing something that would help better the world,” said John. “He wanted to continue to have the freedoms that they go in and fight for.”
Nearly 18 years later, John now wishes people recognize that selflessness and carry on the legacies of his son and those like him.
“Don’t say Happy Memorial Day,” said John. “Sometimes it's best just to stand next to them and put an arm around them, just reach out to them we're so sorry for your loss and we appreciate the sacrifice.”
He added, “That's what this holiday weekend is all about. It's about those who paid the price and were willing to sign that blank check and give their all.”
Hundreds of families in west Michigan are Gold Star Families. To learn more about those men and women killed in action from the area, click here.
