Gold star families honored at Army-Navy game

By Tim Hipps, U.S. Army Installation Management CommandDecember 18, 2014

Gold star families honored
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The gold star families of fallen servicemen Army 1st Lt. Stephen "Chase" Prasnicki, a 2010 graduate of the United States Military Academy who died June 27, 2012, in Afghanistan, and Marine Corps 2nd Lt. James Patrick "JP" Blecksmith, a 2003 graduate ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold star families honored at Army-Navy game
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The gold star families of fallen servicemen Army 1st Lt. Stephen "Chase" Prasnicki, a 2010 graduate of the United States Military Academy who died June 27, 2012, in Afghanistan, and Marine Corps 2nd Lt. James Patrick "JP" Blecksmith, a 2003 graduate ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold star survivors
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gold star family members of Army 1st Lt. Stephen "Chase" Prasnicki, who played quarterback and safety for for the Black Knights and was killed June 27, 2012, by an improvised explosive device on his second day in Afghanistan, were honored during the ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BALTIMORE (Dec. 15, 2014) -- The gold star families of a Soldier and a Marine, both of whom played military academy football and later were killed in combat, were honored Dec. 13 at the 115th Army-Navy game.

Stephen "Chase" Prasnicki, who played quarterback and safety for Army, was killed June 27, 2012, by an improvised explosive device on his second day in Afghanistan. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. James Patrick "JP" Blecksmith, a quarterback and 2003 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, died Nov. 11, 2004 in Iraq.

Their gold star families graced the Army goal line alongside former Black Knights fullback Mike Viti and his "Mike's Hiking for Heroes" group during a ceremony in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium.

Surviving father David Prasnicki said the recognition helped close his book of mourning.

"Today will be probably one of the final chapters in this process," he said. "Leading up to this, I looked back on a lot of old pictures and old football stuff. I dropped some tears yesterday, but in honor of Chase, I looked forward to today.

"I want everybody to know what a great person he was, but more than that, what a great Soldier he was and how well he served this country in the short period of time he had. Some of his platoon came to this game today, so it's very important -- a great, great time."

Prasnicki also praised Viti for his "Mike's Hiking for Heroes" accomplishment of walking more than 7,100-kilometers across America -- one kilometer for each of the more than 6,000 troops killed in the Global War on Terror.

"Thank God for Mike Viti and all the people who are keeping the awareness up," Prasnicki said. "As each day goes on, their memories get less and less in peoples' minds, but they never are lost in our mind."

During the past year, the U.S. Army Installation Management Command's Survivor Outreach Services has been raising awareness of the meaning and significance of the gold star pin. Actor Gary Sinise provided the voice for several public service announcements that feature moms and dads, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives and children of fallen servicemen and women.

"I know my son gave a lot to this country, but what the Army did for us to help honor him and some of the memorials were very useful and very helpful for the whole family to get over our grieving," Prasnicki said before walking across the Army end zone to a rousing round of applause from the crowd of 70,935 at M&T Bank Stadium.

In 1947, Congress approved the use of the gold star lapel button, or pin, as a way to recognize the families of service members who lost their lives while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States. In 1977, the Army approved issue of the pin for the next of kin of deceased personnel to honor those who died while serving on active duty or while assigned in a Reserve or National Guard unit in a drill status.

Both families attended the Army-Navy game as part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness and support for gold star families. They in turn discovered that participation in such event helps them, too.

"I can't tell you what it means to me just to be around all these great people who serve our country and keep us safe," added Prasnicki, who works at Virginia Military Institute. "Both of my sons have been around the military all their lives, from the minute they were born, so I have a lot of respect for them and what they do for our country."