Midlands Gold Star Family Shares What Memorial Day Means For Them

WEST COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– “Sometimes when I have a lot on my mind, or I’m thinking about him, I’ll come out and stay for a while,” Sissy Rabon said.  Sissy Rabon visits her son, Sgt. Luther Rabon Jr, better known as Will, once a week. But this weekend, he will have some extra long visits.  

“Before this happened it was just another paid holiday off of work… but now, after going through something like this, we don’t have BBQ’s and we don’t do that. We sit back and we remember,” Amy Terry said, Will’s sister. 

Will followed in his fathers’ footsteps into the S.C. National Guard. He was deployed in August and the day he stepped foot in Afghanistan he turned 32-years-old. A month and ten days later his family got the call no family ever wants to receive.   

“You can’t explain it… it’s like a heartache that never leaves. It’s an empty that you can’t fill. The more you think about it, the more you want him home. But he’s never coming home. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that when he died he was doing what he thought he was meant to do. And I’ve never been more proud of him in my life. Never,” Rabon said through tears.

Now, his family helps take care of his four children and tell them all about their father who was ‘the life of the party’ and, according to his sister, gave the best advice.

“I miss the talks. Because we talked about everything. He was the one person I knew hands down would never judge me. And his laugh, oh my gosh his laugh, he had the goofiest laugh. And I miss it too,” Terry said.

“That laugh and that smile, and that hug! He had a hug that if you were down so far down that you didn’t think you’d ever see sunlight, when he hugged you, everything left. He had the best hugs,” Rabon said.

On this Memorial Day, Rabon and Terry will remember their ‘country boy’ who always wanted to be ‘Mama’s hero.’ And maybe, every now and then, need a hug to help them see the sunlight.   

“Don’t feel sorry for us, but make us feel like we’re loved. That we’re not forgotten. And take a moment out of your day, it doesn’t even have to be on Memorial Day, if you know a Gold Star family give them a hug. Let them know ‘I’m thinking about you, you’re not forgotten and you’re loved. And we appreciate what your loved one has done for us,” Rabon said.