For many, Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice by fighting bravely for our freedoms. For Gold Star families, the day hits a little closer to home.
“We miss him very much and so today is a day that we think back about how he was, what he did, and what he meant to us,” said Audrey Morin on her son, Steve Morin, Jr. of Brownfield. “It feels just like yesterday. It always feels like that. Sometimes I could just be sitting here and think about him. It just doesn’t go away.”
On September 28, 2005, Morin was killed by an IED in Iraq as he was attempting to safely transport others back to base. He was only 34-years-old, leaving behind a family and two young children.
“When he died a lot of people started calling him a hero, right? I would always say he would have never thought of himself as a hero, he was just a regular guy. He has a backpack that says ‘regular guy’ on it.”
Mrs. Morin shares that while days like Memorial day are a sad reminder of her son’s tragic passing, it’s also a time for her to look back on memories of her son and appreciate the time she did have with him.
Morin was from Brownfield and tremendously proud of his roots. Growing up, he served as an alter boy, played little league and high school football. He held a variety of jobs, ranging from an aviation technician, a DJ, Santa Claus once at the mall, but Morin says her son’s favorite job was belonging to the U.S. military.
Morin also went back to school and attended Texas Tech, earning degrees in both business and finance. His mother shares he was a proud Red Raider fan.
“We go back to the games and we cheer for the teams. I think he would love that,” said Morin.
It’s also on days like Memorial Day that Morin says she’s thankful for the friends she and her husband have made through other Gold Star families.
“I”m not happy that I’m apart of that, you know, but I understand how they all feel. It feels so nice that other people care about my son too.”
And although Morin may have thought of himself as just a “regular guy,” his mother says she’s always have a super hero in her son, whether he’s here or not.
“My son died in the service of his country. He put his life on the line for us, what’s more heroic than that?”