NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — The Kabul airport attack resulted in the deaths of thirteen U.S. service members. Thousands of miles away here in Kentucky, veterans are getting together to support each other.
What You Need To Know
- The Freedom Festival hosted its 17th annual celebration honoring local and abroad veterans and service members
- The festival is hosted by Douglas Day and his wife
- This year, the festival honored those killed in the Kabul airport attack
- US Navy SEAL veterans Ian Brandewie and his father Tim Brandewie attend the festival
The seventeenth annual ‘Military Freedom Festival’ kicked off in Nicholasville Saturday. The event honors veterans and service members, both locally and abroad.
“It is really nice to be here. It is very therapeutic, there is a whole lot of love and support and good energy here so it is awesome, said U.S. Navy Seal veteran Ian Brandewie.
Ian comes from a family that dedicated their services to the Navy. His father Tim is what inspired him to join the forces. Serving as a U.S. Navy Seal in Somalia until the summer of 2018, Brandewie is thankful to be back home.
“Personally I was in a lower place emotionally and mentally earlier this year. I am out of that rut, I am back out and doing stuff with my family,” Brandewie said.
Being at events like this are enjoyable for Brandewie, but he said he can't put into words what it means that his brother’s and sisters abroad have lost their life in Kabul.
“You just can not do much about it. It is a really confusing time, I am honestly at a loss of words,” Brandewie said.
That's why event host Douglas Day continues to host the event, encouraging the community of Nicholasville to wrap their arms around veterans to comfort and support them.
“Our community loves our veterans and out of 120 counties in Kentucky, we are the only ones that do what we do to honor our veterans,” Brandewie said.
Brandewie is thankful to have this support, knowing that he is loved and cared for.
“It is really awesome to know that these kinds of things exist and people work so hard to make it happen. I think it does nothing but benefit everybody,” Brandewie said.
The names of the fallen U.S. service members have been released by the Pentagon.