Friday was going to be a tough day for Brandon Buttry's family. It was the day they were supposed to greet him on his return to Fort Lewis, Wash. But he died Nov. 5 in Afghanistan. Still the family found a way to smile on this difficult day.
Storified by Steve Buttry · Sat, Nov 24 2012 10:57:59
When I talked with Don on the phone Thanksgiving Day, I could tell that Friday was going to be a tough day for the family. They were planning to drive to Pella, Iowa, to spend the day with their adult daughter, Mandy, and her family. By the time they got to Pella, they had a great idea. They emailed family and friends, telling them Brandon had said he wanted to celebrate his return to Fort Lewis with a cheeseburger, an order of fries and a large Coke. They asked us to enjoy a cheeseburger, fries and a large Coke in his honor. Their daughter Missy Rock and I shared the request on Facebook and things kind of took off.
Let's continue the burger salute through the weekend. Tag or message me on Facebook if you post a photo there. Or mention me (@stevebuttry) in a tweet. I'll update with the photos posted Saturday and Sunday.
My brother, Don, and his wife, Pam, had been planning to go to Fort Lewis, Wash., today to meet Brandon on his return from Afghanistan. He was killed 10 days before his scheduled departure. He told his parents he wanted to get a cheeseburger, fries and a large Coke on his return. Don and Pam are encouraging his family and friends to remember Brandon today with a cheeseburger, fries and a large Coke (the Thanksgiving leftovers can wait till Saturday). <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mimijohnsonb" class="">Mimi</a> and I will be going to Five Guys this evening (yes, quite a sacrifice) and posting a photo of our meal. If you're joining us in the cheeseburger tribute, please post a photo and we'll share them with Don and Pam (who aren't on FB).
