A Lifetime Sacrifice Part 1

In part one of this two-part series, we hear the tragic and triumphant stories of three courageous American soldiers who have sacrificed a great deal for our freedom:

Helene Paci is a Gold Star mother who lost her son in war. Her oldest son, Tony, joined the Army in October of 2004 and was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq a year later. In the following years, Tony met his wife Erica and they had three beautiful children. But on Tony’s second deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, tragedy struck. During a non-combat mission, an accident occurred resulting in Tony being thrown from his striker and killed instantaneously. Though still grieving, Tony’s family is immensely proud of the sacrifice he made in the name of freedom.

Nicki Bunting is a Gold Star widow and the mother of two beautiful sons, Conner and Cooper. Nicki’s husband, Captain Brian “Bubba” Bunting was killed in Afghanistan by an IED in February 2009. While devastated by the loss, Nicki found comfort in the fact that Bubba had just spent two weeks at home with her and Conner before the accident occurred. Four days after Bubba’s death, Nicki discovered she was pregnant with their second son, Cooper. It was a much-needed bright spot in the midst of tragedy.

Army Sergeant Shane Parsons was deployed to Baghdad in December of 2005. His mother Cindy was apprehensive about her son’s decision, but she supported his beliefs and was proud of his desire to fight for America’s freedoms. But her fears were realized when, while out on a mission, Shane’s Humvee hit an EFP. Shane’s miraculous tale of survival comes with a great cost—the loss of both of his legs.

Shane, Tony and Bubba are true heroes for willingly putting themselves on the line to defend our freedom. But these tragic and triumphant stories of sacrifice and survival are only the beginning. Be sure to watch part two of this very special program.