M.J. and Clay's son, Chief Warrant Officer Erik Kesterson, was killed in Iraq. He had been a Marine for eight years, then joined the Army as a warrant officer after 9/11 and became a Black Hawk pilot. Erik was with the 101st Airborne, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

As a Marine, Erik won the Navy Marine medal for heroism for rescuing seven men in his unit during a training exercise. The Kestersons are currently building a $400,000 memorial in their state to honor active duty soldiers as well as commemorate those who have died in battle and to serve as a reminder that the war in Iraq is a piece of history, representing those serving our country right now who are fighting to provide freedom in another part of the world.

News

• Read more about the Kestersons' progress on the memorial in Salem.

• Duty, honor, country is everything. That's how we stay free,'' said M.J. Kesterson of Independence, Ore. Her son, Army Warrant Officer Erik Kesterson, was killed in Mosul, Iraq, in November 2003. She and her husband Clay flew to Washington for today's rally in support of the administration's policy. At home, they are raising money for an Iraq war memorial on the Oregon state Capitol grounds.
  
  "It's time to speak up and say something on behalf of the troops. We believe it's a mistake to stop this war, which is being waged to obtain freedom for Iraq. It's important to stay the course,'' Kesterson said. San Francisco Chronicle, 9/25/05

• Kesterson wanted to be there, his parents say. He joined the U.S. Army after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his mother said commitment and loyalty to his country was there long before then. He had previously served for eight years in the U.S. Marines.
  
  "He put on the uniform and honored us," his mother said. "We can't put on the uniform, but we can honor him and his memory by being supportive of the troops that are lost. Our kids did a wonderful job and the sacrifice can't be measured." The Oregonian, 9/16/04