Kadee Smith, Brokerage Assistant at the Home Office, learned the hard way what it means to sacrifice for our country. Kadee is a member of a Gold Star Family. A Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. 

 

"I was 13 when we received the worst knock possible on the door," she recalls. "I was home with my mom when they came. I can remember that day like it was yesterday."

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That day was the day an Army notification team informed Kadee's family that her big brother, Nick, had been killed in action while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Sergeant Nicholas A. Gummersall, 23, of Chubbuck, and three other soldiers died on August 6, 2007, when a blast destroyed a house they were clearing in Buqubah, Iraq. Nick, on his fourth tour of duty, was due home September 15. He was enrolled at Boise State University for fall classes.

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"Nick was the happiest kid ever," Kadee remembers. "He always had a smile on his face and wanted to be friends with everyone. He had so many goals and accomplishments in life. One of his biggest was to become an Army Ranger. He knew he was made to make a difference and that's just what he did. He made the ultimate sacrifice to help the lives of everyone he could. He is missed every day by so many. I am honored to be his little sister."

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One way Kadee plans to honor her brother is by naming her son after Nick, "a true American hero."

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Farm Bureau Insurance is helping to honor Nick and all of Idaho's fallen soldiers and their families by donating to Idaho's first Gold Star Families Memorial Monument. The monument, located on the north end of Pocatello's east bench, is currently under construction.

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"Words can't express how much we appreciate Farm Bureau's donation to the monument," says Pocatello resident Rebecca Webb, a Gold Star Mother who is facilitating the memorial. "The monument will be a place of recognizing and honoring the fallen, and the sacrifice borne by the families of the fallen across the state."

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The Idaho Gold Star Memorial Monument will fly flags for the United States, every branch of the military service, the POW-MIA organization, as well as the Gold Star Families and Honor and Remember flags. Farm Bureau's donation will pay for the installation of the Gold Star Families flagpole. 

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"Pocatello is fortunate to be home to Idaho's Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, and Farm Bureau is proud to be a part of it," says Paul Roberts, Executive Vice President and CEO. "The beautiful plaza and monument will be a permanent tribute to Idaho's fallen soldiers and their families."

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"The Gold Star Community is truly an amazing support group," Kadee adds. "I remember when we lost Nick, we received so many letters and handmade blankets in his honor from other Gold Star Families. The Gold Star Memorial is amazing. It is so nice to see that people still remember the suffering the families endure after the loss of their loved ones. I am truly grateful to work for a company that cares so much about the military and their families."

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Completion of the Idaho Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is anticipated for fall 2019. A formal dedication ceremony will take place May 2, 2020.

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If you would like more information about the memorial, please visit https://idahogoldstarmemorial.com/

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