Thousands gathered in Tampa Sunday to remember the thousands of brave men and women who gave their lives during operations in the Middle East.
Don and Michelle Carey spent the morning staring a cross.
The picture on the front is that of their hero.
The crowd, the music was all for their son and thousands of other heroes killed during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
“You know the sacrifices that these young men made ... we feel we just need to remember them, remember their service, remember their sacrifice,” Don Carey said.
The Careys gathered with about 5,000 others Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park to take part in the seventh-annual Run for the Fallen.
“They will always know in this community. They are not forgotten, and we will honor them as long as we can, every single year, this very same way,” said organizer Cyd Deathe.
This year organizers made sure to get enough people to run in honor of the 370 local fallen heroes.
“You’re around people that really, truly know the same pain and sacrifice that you do,” Michelle Carey said.
If nothing else, this one day a year, that’s comforting for the Careys as they remember their son.
“To always remember, to always remember them, we don’t ever want them to be forgotten,” said Michelle Carey.
Based on the thousands who showed their support Sunday, it doesn’t look like that’s going to be a problem anytime soon.
The Tampa event coincides with the national effort to honor the thousands who lost their lives during those two operations in the Middle East.