'The KDKA Morning News' Remembers America's Veterans
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - On Aug. 6, 2011, Aaron Vaughn, a member of famed SEAL Team 6, was killed in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan when a helicopter he was in was shot down.
Since then, his mother, Karen Vaughn, has been traveling the country telling his story and encouraging people to love America again.
Karen Vaughn is the Senior Military Families Advisor to the Concerned Veterans for America and was in Pittsburgh Thursday night as part of the Defend Freedom Tour. It's a tour that brings a "message of freedom and prosperity, and the necessity to defend it all across the nation."
She joined "The KDKA Morning News" to talk about why she is part of the tour and what Memorial Day means to her.
Vaughn says she speaks on the tour because, "America's worth it. We have to turn people back to loving this country. I feel like the entire country has shifted to a hate America atmosphere."
"We can't just pretend that freedom means nothing, we have to understand that we can lose it. It's not a given that we'll always be free," she says.
Vaughn says her son, "was always the life of the party, always larger than life (and) leaves such a hole in our family."
Vaughn adds her son told everyone from an early age he was going to be a Navy Seal and the events of Sept. 11 motivated him to join the service.
She says part of the reason she goes across the country speaking for America is because, "It energizes me to have something to do with this terrible loss other than sit in my house and grieve."
For more information on Karen Vaughn's mission visit: www.forourson.us
And for more information on the Defend Freedom Tour visit: www.defendfreedomtour.com
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Rolling Thunder is an event that happens every Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. It's a motorcycle ride around the nation's capital to make sure prisoners of war and those missing in action are not forgotten.
Nikki Mendicino, 25, will be attending her 16th Rolling Thunder event. She joined "The KDKA Morning News" to talk about it.
Mendicino got involved after a Veteran's Day program at her school. She said after the event, she started visiting veterans and started a website, and was asked to speak at the Pittsburgh American Legion convention at 11 years old.
Mendicino learned about the sacrifice veterans give from a World War II vet.
"That's one of the most important parts of our history that I hope our veterans will continue to share with the younger generations, so we know what they went through and what was sacrificed for our freedom," she says.
Rolling Thunder was started in 1995 by two Vietnam veterans and this year, she says there could be up to 700,000 bikers participating this year.
For more information on Rolling Thunder visit: www.rollingthunder1.com
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