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NORTH OGDEN, Utah – A group of volunteers posted dozens of flags in honor of Sergeant First Class Elliott Robbins, a Weber County native who lost his life in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan.
As his family grieved the loss of the 31-year-old, the community around them was working to honor his sacrifice.
Kirk Chugg with Follow The Flag North Ogden said the group quickly went to work after finding out Monday about Robbins’ death.
“We tried to figure out what we could do immediately,” Chugg said. “Within a half an hour, we had mobilized and started to make a plan of what we could do.”
While the Robbins family was traveling to Dover Air Base in Delaware for the arrival of his body, volunteers put dozens of yellow flags around their home and along their street.
Green Beret, from North Ogden, 1st Class Sgt. Elliott Robbins died in Afghanistan, in a non-combat incident, according to the Pentagon. Parents say he was proud of his country, and proud to serve it. He was set to return home any day. @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/WPBYtseoMu
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) July 1, 2019
“We hope that they see that the community is behind them and supporting them, that we acknowledge their sacrifice,” Chugg said. “I’ve never served in the military, and I feel like this is a way that I can give back to the people who did.”
Last November, North Ogden also lost their Mayor, Major Brent Taylor, who died while on deployment in Afghanistan. Taylor happened to be a close friend of Chugg’s.
“We’re heartbroken that it’s happened twice in our little community in the last year,” Chugg said. “This week especially, as we celebrate our freedoms and our liberties, we definitely want to make sure that we do our part, and, I don’t know, it just feels like a natural thing for a lot of us to do.”
Chugg said Follow The Flag’s large flags, named Big Betsy and The Major, will be shown in parades, and later flown in both North Ogden and Pleasant Grove in honor of Robbins.
Volunteers will also place yellow ribbons along the family’s street Tuesday night. They planned to get started at 9 p.m. Chugg said they’ll allow as many people who want to take part as they can, but the response so far has already been huge.
“If you don’t get here five minutes early, the job will be done,” Chugg said.
A large, metal yellow ribbon with the words “Support Our Troops,” also now sits in front of the Robbins home. City workers placed it there Monday. It’s similar to the yellow ribbon that still sits in front of the Taylor home.
