Hundreds gather to honor the fallen at Gold Star Memorial Day parade

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Hundreds of paradegoers on Monday packed East Broadway in downtown Columbia for the Gold Star Memorial Day Parade.

Parade founder Sherry Wyatt marked the second year since the event’s return after a six-year hiatus, honoring fallen service members on Memorial Day.

"This is extremely important to us because the greatest sacrifice that any of us can give, of course, is our lives for the people who love and we care for, defending the freedom of our country," Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 280 and parade member Charlie Brown said. "The families that are affected by that, our Gold Star families, are worthy of the highest honors that we can give."

The Gold Star title honors the immediate family members who have experienced losing an active-duty military service member.

"To have all of these people to support us and to love on us, it's been wonderful," Gold Star family member Rhonda Fingar said.

Rhonda and David Fingar were in the parade honoring their son and U.S. Army Specialist Jason Fingar. Jason Fingar enlisted in 2008 and served in Afghanistan before being killed in action on May 22, 2010, after his military vehicle hit an IED.

"Jason was the first person in the convoy," Rhonda Fingar said. "Even though he passed, he saved all those people that were behind him."

"He was the moral compass," David Fingar said. "He didn't want to have that attention of, 'he's someone important.'"

The parade was also organized with the USTF Veterans Foundation and featured chapters for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, American Legion Riders, and Mid-Missouri Vietnam Vets and the Nurses Honor Guard of Mid-Missouri, among other groups.

"My son went to Afghanistan and he also came home, so we have a lot to be thankful for and I definitely like to honor those who didn't make it back," Parade-attendee Sarah Brilhante said.