{"id":331008,"date":"2024-12-11T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=331008"},"modified":"2024-12-12T16:08:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:08:19","slug":"fort-cavazos-gold-star-families-board-snowball-express","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=331008","title":{"rendered":"Fort Cavazos Gold Star families board Snowball Express"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Kekoa Valencia, 7, grabs candy from people sending Gold Star families off on the bridge to the airplane for Snowball Express Dec. 7, 2024, at Killeen Regional Airport at Killeen, Texas.
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\n Chante McClendon, Gold Star family member, pets therapy dogs during the Snowball Express sendoff Dec. 7, 2024, at Killeen Regional Airport at Killeen, Texas.
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KILLEEN, Texas<\/strong> \u2014 Fort Cavazos leadership, members of the Gary Sinise Foundation and more gathered to send off Gold Star families to Walt Disney World Resort at Orlando, Florida, for the annual Snowball Express Dec. 7 at Killeen Regional Airport.<\/p>\n

The Gary Sinise Foundation, founded by actor Gary Sinise, hosts a five-day experience
every December for Gold Star children and spouses\/guardians at the amusement park, sending 1,750 people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want them (Gold Star families) to have a magical experience,\u201d said retired Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, a member of the Gary Sinise Foundation Advisory Board. \u201cWe want them to have this memory of having been to Disney World from a grateful American public, because we\u2019re sitting there because we appreciate their service and their sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynch and his wife Sarah have been with the foundation since its inception in 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievably enriching and rewarding because you\u2019re in the presence of heroes,\u201d Rick said. \u201cThese are the survivor families, of those who fell in defense of our freedoms. Being with them is inspiration because what we want to make sure they know is we don\u2019t forget. We don\u2019t forget their losses.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow Sarah and I had the privilege of commanding the 3rd Infantry Division in combat, and 153 Soldiers died under my command,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo this is personal to us. When we come to do these things, it\u2019s very important to make sure that
everybody knows we acknowledge their sacrifice and we never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

One Gold Star mom, Janice Johnson, was excited to take her granddaughters, Serena Johnson, 17, and Sian Johnson, 16, on the trip, saying it would be their first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore he (my son) passed away, he wanted to take them there, but he didn\u2019t get a chance,\u201d she said. \u201cHe passed away, so I\u2019m very excited to take them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s son, Sgt. 1st Class Roderick Johnson died Dec. 4, 2011 from cancer. Going to Gold Star events gives her lots of great support, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to support some of their families too, because I know what they have been through and what they\u2019re going through, because I went through losing my oldest son,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Before the families boarded, they were able to interact with dogs from the GOTEAM Therapy, Crisis and Airport Dogs, Inc. and listen to remarks from Brig. Gen. Geoff Van Epps, III Armored Corps deputy commanding general of maneuver, and Rick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is such a great program and a great way to honor our Gold Star families,\u201d Van Epps said. \u201cI really want to thank the Gary Sinise Foundation for their incredible generosity, and American Airlines for being such a great partner for this operation. I also want to thank the city, the airport and the installation staff from Fort Cavazos, who provide the support that helped make this possible and help synchronize all of the other partners that are part of making this operation such a success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remember the sacrifice that you have made,\u201d he continued, speaking to the Gold Star families. \u201cWe will never forget. We continue to honor you, and we hope that you enjoy the few days that you have ahead of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rick read a letter from Sinise for the Gold Star families, in which Sinise wrote his joy in providing this experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile our hearts are heavy at the circumstances that brought everyone together today, I\u2019m grateful we can honor deserving families, remembering their loved ones who are no longer with us as we wrap our arms around each and every one of you,\u201d Rick read. \u201cWe do not forget, and this amazing event allows the American people who support the Gary Sinise foundation to bring some joy and new happy memories to this special group at the most magical place on Earth \u2014 Disney World.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease know that we do not forget your loved ones or your sacrifices,\u201d Rick continued to read. \u201cThey are in our heart always, and I know in my heart they want you to have the best time this week, laugh, have fun, meet new friends and remember \u2014 America loves and supports you. From all of us at the Gary Sinise Foundation and all the supporters and friends who made this trip possible, always remember we love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the remarks, Gold Star families boarded the plane, with volunteers, Fort Cavazos leadership, member of the Gary Sinise Foundation and Patriot Guard Riders lining the bridge to the airplane, waving flags, giving high-fives and passing out candy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Kekoa Valencia, 7, grabs candy from people sending Gold Star families off on the bridge to the airplane for Snowball Express Dec. 7, 2024, at Killeen Regional Airport at Killeen, Texas. (Photo Credit: Photo by Ayumi Davis, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 \/ 2 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331010,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=331008"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":331013,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331008\/revisions\/331013"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/331010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=331008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=331008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=331008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}