This will be my 10th year participating in Carry The Load. There is no better way to spend Memorial May than with thousands of other patriots honoring, remembering, and carrying our fallen. We are so blessed to live in this county and I am grateful for our freedoms. 

This year, I am carrying my grandfather LT Larry Duane Vose, USAF. He was born and raised in the small town of LaPlata, Missouri. He was an Eagle Scout and graduated from Herculaneum High School before attending the University of Missouri and joining the Air Force. He and my grandmother got married in 1956 and had my mother one year later. He became a pilot and graduated at the top of his class of 1,000 cadets in San Francisco. 

Tragically, on April 3, 1959, at age 24, LT Vose was killed in a T-33 jet crash in Fairbanks, Alaska while stationed at Ladd Air Force Base. He was serving with the 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and his commander Lieut. Col. Kenneth B. Taylor was killed alongside him. 

He is buried on a beautiful hillside at Presidio National Cemetery in San Francisco, California. 

I never got to meet this amazing man but his life and legacy have had a profound impact on my life and largely influenced my desire to work supporting military and veterans. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from my great uncle Bunner (who passed away last year) when he told me I was a lot like my grandfather. 

My gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our fallen runs deep and I have so much respect for the widows, children and parents who continue to press on. God bless our Gold Star families. 

We will spend the month of May raising awareness and funds for organizations carrying the torch and continuing to support our active duty, veterans and gold & white star families. Please check out the work we are doing at One Tribe Foundation (1tribefoundation.org) and THANK YOU for supporting this mission. 

Freedom isn’t Free.