Curt Austin doesn’t like to stay in his hometown on Memorial Day weekend.
It has been eight years since his son, Pfc. Barrett Austin, took his last breath at a hospital in Germany after being wounded by a roadside bomb in the Maidan Wardak Province of Afghanistan.
The 20-year-old was the only soldier in the four-person Army vehicle convoy who died in the attack.
Since his death in 2013, Curt and his wife Yolanda continue to receive an outpouring of support from the community. It’s appreciated, but it’s also what makes Memorial Day difficult each year. It’s that buildup of seemingly constant reminders from the media, politicians, radio ads, furniture stores and even strangers on the street that create a storm of painful memories around the solemn holiday.
Local paper front page #memorialday pic.twitter.com/ZbNJPTB5CV
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 31, 2021