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Richard Piatt reporting Legislators paused today for a touching tribute to Utah's fallen soldiers. They reflected on the men and women who have died in action both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The families of 15 of those who died stood in front of a solemn gathering in the House and Senate Chambers this morning. Utah lawmakers paused to hear the tribute and offered a moment of silence for those who offered the ultimate sacrifice during the war.
For the families of 19-year-old Corp. Michael Purcell, who died in Iraq last May, and 23-year-old Michael Lehmiller, who died in Afghanistan in 2005, the tributes do mean a lot.
"To come out here and have the great state of Utah recognize our boys means the world. You know, we can't ever get our sons back, but we have a moment, or a day, of joy where people just say, ‘You know, we're never going to forget,'" said Terry Dutcher, Michael Purcell's mother.
"When you see the emotion that they showed when it wasn't even their son or daughter, or whoever, and that means a lot, that people are not going to forget," Terry's husband, Jeff, said.
Michael Lehmiller's mother, Paula Lehmiller, said, "It's very reassuring. It puts a picture with a face."
