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The Gold Star Mission rolled through Lincoln this week, bringing
with it reminders of sacrifice, memory, and community support.
Founded in 2017 in Springfield, Illinois, the nonprofit was created
by veterans and friends moved by the stories of families who lost
loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As part of its stop in Lincoln, the Gold Star Mission paid tribute
to three service members from the area: John Gaston, 26, of
Waynesville, who died March 8, 2008; Daniel Gene Gresham, 23, of
Lincoln, who died Feb. 24, 2005; and Francis Marion Trussel Jr., 21,
of Lincoln, who died May 26, 2007. Their names were read alongside a
remembrance of “all our fallen heroes.”
The organization’s mission resonated throughout the visit, as riders
and volunteers shared personal stories of why they take part in the
multi-day, 500-mile ride across Illinois.
Keith Butler who serves in the National Guard, said he first joined
in 2019 after colleagues encouraged him to try. “Never ridden a bike
before. They said, just come out and ride 500 miles with us,” he
recalled. “It’s really cool. I enjoy it, because it’s not just prior
service military that ride. We get a lot of just really great
patriotic people that come out and ride. We get a lot of the Gold
Star families, the supporter ride, that actually come with us for
the full five days.”
At the heart of the Gold Star Mission is memory preservation. “We
say that a service member dies twice, once in the physical form, and
then once when we stop saying their name and their memory fades,”
President Barry Tobias explained. “Our goal is to preserve the
memory and share the legacy of who our fallen service members were,
not just about their service, but who they were as a person.”
The organization awards $1,000 scholarships in honor of fallen
soldiers, supporting either trade school or college education.
Riders and volunteers spoke of the importance of tying education to
remembrance. “You would write a paper on that soldier so that you
would always remember, never forget,” one rider said. “Ten or
fifteen years from now, when you have kids, you can say, ‘I wrote
for Jacob. Let me tell you a story about him.’” To date, the group
has awarded 317 scholarships totaling $317,000, and completed the
equivalent of six trips around the world in miles ridden
The ride also includes the creation of Fallen Hero videos, which
highlight not how soldiers died, but how they lived. “It tells the
life story of that soldier—what they did, their family stories,
their passions. Those are the things we want everybody to remember,”
one organizer said.
For many participants, the event is deeply personal. One rider
shared that he joined after losing a battle buddy, Jessica Housby,
in Iraq in 2004. “That’s the reason I ride,” he said simply. Another
rider said he was brought into the group by his brother-in-law, one
of the organization’s early founders. “If you have any type of
inclination to do good and bring goodness into the world, then this
is the part for you,” he said.
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The stop in Lincoln drew support from city leaders and residents.
Riders presented a signed poster to Mayor Tracy Welch and City Clerk
Peggy Bateman, recognizing the city’s hospitality. Welch thanked the
group, saying, “I think it’s a great cause, raising awareness for
Gold Star families and those that we’ve lost, and I’m glad Lincoln
could be a stop on their route.” Bateman, who helped coordinate the
visit, described the event as “beautiful” and said she would proudly
display the signed memento at City Hall.
Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister also voiced his support, noting
that many of his officers are veterans. He dedicated staff to assist
with traffic control so the cyclists could pass safely. “I think it
was great,” he said of the turnout. “It was extremely organized and
well-managed. We wanted to make sure the riders were safe, and also
to show our support.”
For riders, the stops in communities like Lincoln are what keep them
motivated, even through grueling daily rides exceeding 100 miles.
“We see young minds, we see people outside waving flags, and it just
really drives us to keep going,” one participant said. “This is my
dream job. I’m very happy.”
As the cyclists moved on to their next stop, the message they left
behind was clear: always remember. The Gold Star Mission’s motto is
simple but powerful—preserve the memory of the fallen by saying
their names, telling their stories, and carrying their legacies
forward.
[Sophia Larimore]
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