Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta airport is the final stop on their way to war. That's where you'll find military moms like Cynthia Lemay. This Thanksgiving Lemay knows the pain of deployment all too well.
"Our son is in Afghanistan. My nephew just got back from his third tour. We have several other family members over there," she said.
While she can't be on the front lines protecting her son, she figures she can ask for a little protection for him from above. So she created him a "battle saint bracelet." It's made up of 12 to 16 different saints who each have a unique military connection.
"We put together these saints bracelets," Lemay said. "They have different saints on them including St. Christopher to protect you when you travel, and St. Barbara to protect you if you work with explosives. (These saints) have very specific meaning to the military and offers them specific protection."
She started it as way to feel connected and show support for the troops overseas. Now, the small memento has spread to Hollywood and beyond. Celebrities like Zac Brown and the cast from band of brothers sport the small pictures saints on their wrists as a token of support for those at home and those on the front lines.
"I feel really proud to wear this and it makes me feel a bit more protected while I'm over there, like I've got someone watching over me," said Spc. Brandon Kuhn, U.S. Army.
And perhaps, they bring a little bit of comfort to those who stay at home.
"When you have a loved one in harm's way, not a moment goes by where you don't think of them ," Lemay said. "So we wear these every day and think of our loved ones and all the other service men and women who make so many sacrifices everyday."
The bracelets are five dollars each and a dollar from every sale goes to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. They can be purchased online at battlesaint.com.
Email:lprichard@ksl.com.
