It was a bittersweet Memorial Day for Diane and Gary Yoder. It was the first one they celebrated in which their son's name was on the list of our nation's fallen heroes.
"It's been extremely tough," said Gary. "We're muddling through and again with the help of all the friends that we have, we've been helped and blessed by them. It's been getting us through it."
The couple's son, 26-year-old Jarett Yoder, was a Chief Warrant Officer 3 with the Pennsylvania National Guard. On April 9, he, along with Matthew Ruffner, 34, of Harrisburg, were killed during a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Yoder served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s Company B, 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, based at Fort Indiantown Gap. The battalion mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan last August.
He graduated from Oley Valley High School in Oley, Pennsylvania back in 2005 and attended Reading Community College. He joined the military in 2005, first serving in Company C, 1st Battalion 111th Infantry as an infantryman. He was deployed to Iraq in 2008 with Company C and the rest of the 56th Stryker Brigade. In 2010, he served as an aviation life support equipment officer and Apache pilot. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and Driver and Mechanic Badge.
After his death, Yoder was buried at Forest Hills Memorial Park. That's where his friends and family gathered on Memorial Day to honor his life and sacrifice.
"He told us that it was his turn to serve the country and that we could retire and relax," said Diane while in tears. "I never thought he'd give up his life for it."
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Diane and Gary set up a scholarship fund at Oley High School in Jarett's memory.
"He's definitely up there, keeping an eye on us," said Gary. "That would be his attitude."
