A very dear friend of mine is on pins and needles waiting for her brother, a father of two in his forties, to come home from Afghanistan in a few days, and it got me to thinking.  We very rarely think about the Americans serving us in far away lands, often working under the threat of being harmed by the very persons they are there to help.  Are we just too distracted with day to day life, work, and all the many things vying for our attention?  Has the Afghanistan war become something we are used to, numbed to it because we have lived with it so very long?  Unless we have a loved one there in harms way, why do we Americans seen to forget about our service people?  I mean, Congress couldn’t even pass a jobs bill for Veterans, so how high do they really rate as a priority.  Actions speak louder than words.

Larry Eckhardt has the fallen soldiers very much on his mind.  When the very worst happens to a soldier, and so often they are very young men, the Flagman, Larry Eckhardt, provides a service to help honor that sacrifice, to those who deserved a final hero’s welcome home.

U.S. Army Pvt. FC, Dustin Gross, who was killed by a roadside bomb earlier this year in Afghanistan, was the young man whose funeral was shown in the video.  He most definitely  deserves our gratitude and thanks.  Larry Eckhardt does that for fallen soldiers with the flags he provides, out of his own pocket and with the help of donors and many volunteers.
If you would like to send a donation to the Flag Man—-you can send it to:

Larry Eckhardt
323 S. Broadway, Apt 1S
Little York, IL 61453-9788

All donations will go back into the project to purchase flags and upkeep of the display.