BOUNTIFUL, Utah — It can be hard right now for Gold Star family members as they see the death toll rise for service members fighting the war in Iran.
At Bountiful Veterans Park, some people can find peace during hard times. The park is surrounded by walls that list the names of those who served.
“The trees that are off to the side here, they all stand tall like they’re soldiers, welcoming you into the park. It’s really a beautiful area, honors everybody, and it’s just a great place to be,” said Jan Hendrickson, a Gold Star mom and daughter.
Hendrickson finds solace between the letters etched in stone — especially the stone engraved with her son’s name, Cody Hendrickson.
“I can tell you, as a Blue Star mom, putting my son on that airplane for the last time that I saw him — in my heart, I knew he wasn’t coming back," she said. "I think we all know that. We all know that they’re going off to do what they have to do, and they might come back, but they might not come back."
Cody died while serving the U.S. Army in Fort Rucker, Alabama, at just 34 years old. Jan Hendrickson’s father died while serving in the U.S. Air Force, at just 21 years old, and when she was just nine months old.
Seeing things like the news of soldiers killed in combat overseas in Iran can reopen those wounds.
“Some parent, some spouse, is getting that knock on the door with those four words that will change your life forever: ‘We regret to inform you,’ and it takes me back to my knock on the door. I just want to call all of those people and give them a hug and say 'Thank you for your sacrifice and service,'" Hendrickson said.
She said it doesn’t matter if the war is big or small because loved ones are always fighting for our country. When she sees people coming home in caskets, she can’t help but think of her own family. Over the years, Hendrickson has learned that she's not alone and that there are resources provided to loved ones who lose someone in the military.
Here in Utah, there are also resources for Blue Star families — families of those currently in the service.
“We offer weekly programming to help connect our families to each other, but also to our community and provide engaging opportunities for people to get together and feel supported,” Marcie Valdez with Utah Blue Star Families said when we spoke with her last week.
Now, Hendrickson takes her son’s story and turns it into advocacy by working for different organizations to bring other military families peace and healing.
Nearly 15 years after his death, her love for her son and the military hasn’t changed.
“As a parent, I never would have wanted this, but to see him with his pride, it just made your heart grow,” Hendrickson said.
