I was blessed to know Mark Forester personally and to call him a friend. Mark and I spoke often during his training and some while he was deployed. I always looked forward to the day when he returned home and I could sit down with him and hear more about what he had experienced, the people he served alongside, and the things he had seen and learned. Sadly, after Mark was killed in action, that opportunity was gone.
Thad’s interviews on Patriot to the Core have helped fill a small part of that gap for me. Nothing can completely fill the void left when you lose a friend, but hearing from those who served alongside Mark, knew him, and shared some of those experiences gives me a glimpse into a part of his life I never had the opportunity to hear about directly from him.
The podcast goes well beyond Mark’s story, though. Thad has created a place where veterans, Gold Star families, and others connected to military service can share stories of courage, sacrifice, faith, loss, and perseverance that deserve to be heard.
I would recommend Patriot to the Core to anyone who wants to be inspired, gain a greater appreciation for those who serve, and better understand what families and friends experience when someone they love is lost in combat. I’m grateful to Thad for continuing to tell these stories and, in doing so, helping keep the memory of people like Mark alive.
