SILVANA – Robin Hebert stood in front of many motorcycles in a T-shirt, which read: “All gave some. Some gave all.”
It’s been more than a year since Hebert’s only son, Justin, gave all for his country. In August 2003, the 20-year-old Army paratrooper became the first Snohomish County soldier to be killed in combat in the Iraq war.
“I just go to bed day by day,” Robin Hebert said of how she has coped with the tragedy.
The loss will hurt her for a long time, Hebert knows.
But she was delighted Sunday to see her son’s legacy inspire others. About 60 riders participated in a motorcycle run in his honor in this town northwest of Arlington.
Combat Veterans International Chapter 6, a nonprofit group in Snohomish County, organized the event, raising $831 for the Justin Hebert Memorial Scholarship Fund to help high school graduates in the county with their higher education.
Justin Hebert made the ultimate sacrifice for the rights people here enjoy, said Norm Holgate, the group’s president.
“We’re trying to do what we can do in his honor and memory,” said Holgate, 52, who served 20 years in the Navy.
Zech Shone, 24, was one of the riders registered for the run. Shone, of Lynnwood, returned home in January after an 11-month stint in Iraq.
Shone learned of Justin Hebert after his death, he said, adding they were both in the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
As more and more U.S. soldiers die in Iraq, people tend to perceive their deaths as statistics, said Shone, who now studies nursing at Shoreline Community College.
“They are not numbers,” he said.
Bill Hebert said his son went into the service to see the world and earn money for college afterwards. He hopes the scholarship fund will help others who can’t afford higher education.
Bill and Robin Hebert said they appreciate other veterans’ friendship more than anything.
“Being around people helps a lot,” Robin Hebert said. “It’s tough to be alone.”
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