Bay Area Gold Star mother encourages shift in perspective about Memorial Day
Gold Star Mom Karen Meredith made sure her son's tombstone was the most decorated at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day Monday, 18 years ago to the day that First Lieutenant Kenneth Ballard was killed in a tank accident in Najaf, Iraq.
"They're not a number, it's not a headstone. It's a real person behind that," Meredith told KPIX 5. "Kenneth was 26 years old. He was my only child."
Ballard enlisted in the Army three months after graduating from Mountain View High School. He was the fourth generation of Army officers in his family.
"He really loved being in the military," said his mother. "He started drawing tanks on his homework at age 4 and was known to wear Metallica t-shirts under his uniform. He needs to be remembered because he did put down his life for this country and he loved being in the military. He loved his guys, they loved him and it's important that we know who is fighting for our freedom."
This Memorial Day, Meredith wants people to think differently about this holiday every year from now on.
"My advice to people would be never to say happy Memorial Day, because it's not a happy day. It's the day to honor our fallen from the military," she said. "That's my biggest advice, it's not happy. You can go and have your barbecue, but you do need to remember."
She has one favor to ask everyone tonight - raise a toast for her son, First Lieutenant Kenneth Ballard, and all of America's fallen servicemen and women.