INDIANAPOLIS — Families who lost loved ones while serving in the military got a special treat Tuesday: Colts players joined them in honoring those veterans.
Several families met at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center to not only meet the players, but also craft wooden flags in remembrance of those fallen soldiers.
“We lost our son, specialist Luke Frist. He was a part of an Army reserve unit out of Lafayette, Indiana,” Patti Frist said. ”He always knew he wanted to join the military.”
Luke died in 2004 during the war in Iraq when he was 20 years old. Patti and her husband joined several other families who lost loved ones in the line of duty.
“He was usually the driver, but this time, he was the passenger,” Patti said. “It hit an IED. The tanker was hit by an RPG. Then, he was burned 90% of his body.”
Patti made Flags of Valor for those who made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for the United States of America.
“Really, it’s beyond what the flag means. It’s about the service and sacrifice their loved ones gave," organizer Brian Steorts said.
Prior to making the flags, the families got a chance to tour the facility, and they left with framed Colts jerseys with their loved one's name.