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WEST JORDAN — Pat Gannon embraces a fellow grieving military parent Tuesday, with tears in her eyes as she receives a plaque from the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers honoring her late son, David.
The Gannons are among 25 families being visited on a six-state, 2,000-mile motorcycle ride that honors fallen heroes with an intimate ceremony. David Gannon is one of four Utahns to be honored during the third annual Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Motorcycle Ride.
"I guess, in many ways, it's bittersweet," said Mike Gannon, David's father. "It's like ripping a Band-Aid off again, but it feels good to remember David. Some days are hard, other days are just less hard, but it is an honor to remember."
Mike Gannon said he's grateful to share his son's memory with others as he displayed family keepsakes, such as one of David Gannon's many guitars and a teddy bear made out of his uniform.
David Gannon joined the Army in 2011 while in his mid-30s. Though he was older than many of his platoon members, David Gannon refused to let his newfound friends think he couldn't keep up, according to his father.
"His platoon members still Facebook me. They were all brothers, you know," Pat Gannon said.
In spring of 2013, David Gannon, 34, was found unresponsive in his Fort Bragg barracks room and was later pronounced dead by the he 82nd Airborne Division. The investigation later found that David Gannon had been shot by a fellow platoon member.
The Gannons have lived in West Jordan for nearly 36 years, and several neighbors who knew David to gathered at the family's home to witness the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers ceremony to celebrate his life. Scouts from the fallen soldier's former troop placed flags in the surrounding yards of the Gannon residence.
"It is so heartwarming when we come into a neighborhood like this and see all the American flags, and we see neighbors turn out and welcome us and support the family," said Warren Williamson, executive director of Tribute to Fallen Soldiers.
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Spc. David M. Gannon, 34, of West Jordan, was found unresponsive Saturday evening and later pronounced dead, according to the 82nd Airborne Division. The cause of death is under investigation.One family friend recalled how David Gannon showed great friendship in junior high when he stayed behind in the classroom with a fellow friend during a popular activity because she was not allowed to attend.
Williamson said the Salt Lake community has been very receptive of their cause and that many people will wave at the group, which is distinguishable by the Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch attached to a trailer decorated with memorial monuments from across the United States.
The participants in the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Motorcycle Ride are on their way to Colorado to visit more families and will not extinguish the eternal flame until the ride is complete on Aug. 3 in Deadwood, South Dakota.
