Gold star families convene in Arlington

As many as two thousand members of Gold Star families ? families who lost members while serving our country ? convened at Arlington cemetery’s “Tomb of the Unknowns” this weekend, to pay tribute to military men and women killed in action. This weekend’s events mark the largest gathering of such families in the country’s history.

We speak with Merrilee Carlson, a Gold Star mother and president of “Families United,” which organized the weekend’s events. She explains why organizations like hers play an important role in the lives of grieving families and how she aims to fulfill the legacy of her son, Sergeant Michael Carlson, who died in Baqouba, Iraq, in January, 2005. She says that there is nothing political about the gathering and that the group gathered to celebrate and honor the families of troops who have given their lives.