{"id":6174,"date":"2025-05-19T11:49:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/?page_id=6174"},"modified":"2025-07-17T18:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T18:03:14","slug":"featured-stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/concert\/featured-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Featured Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-small has-background-top-center-position has-parallax\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NMDC-2023_Gary-Sinise_Gold-Star-Families-Doc.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#1c2838;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-90 has-pdb-90\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h2 class=\"has-gold-color has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"> 2025 FEATURED STORIES <\/h2>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/concert\/featured-stories\/krista-simpson-anderson-story\/\" class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-link has-dark-gold-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#91816d;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h4 class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>A GOLD STAR FAMILY&#8217;S STORY<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">After losing her husband SSG Michael H. Simpson in 2013 to a fatal wound from an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan, Gold Star Wife Krista Simpson Anderson turned her grief into purpose, supporting fellow military and Gold Star Families and creating space for healing. Her strength, rooted in community and service, reminds us that even while navigating tragedy there are gifts along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">A Gold Star Family&#8217;s Story<\/h3>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-small has-background-top-center-position\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Krista-Simpson-Anderson-and-Kids_-11-1-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">..<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-small has-background-middle-left-position\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-COL-OTIS-EVANS3-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/concert\/featured-stories\/col-otis-evans-story\/\" class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-link has-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#1c2838;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h4 class=\"has-gold-color has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>COL OTIS EVANS: COURAGE IN THE SKIES OF VIETNAM<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">During the Vietnam War, three million Americans deployed. Over 58,000 never made it home, and many more who returned were forever changed. Among them was Colonel Otis Evans who served as a DUSTOFF pilot with the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division, flying medevac missions under fire with extraordinary bravery.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"tadv-color\">Watch Col. Otis Evans\u2019 Story<\/span><\/h4>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/concert\/featured-stories\/don-graves-story\/\" class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col no-image has-link has-light-blue-background-color\" style=\"background-color:#a4c8ec;\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdt-60 has-pdb-60 has-pdl-60 has-pdr-60\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<h4 class=\"has-blue-color has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>DON GRAVES: A MARINE\u2019S STORY FROM IWO JIMA<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-blue-color\">On the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, the 2025 National Memorial Day Concert honored the millions of the Greatest Generation who served on the front lines and the home front. Among them was U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Don Graves, a flamethrower who stormed the black sands of Iwo Jima with the 5th Marine Division in one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-blue-color has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">Watch Don Graves\u2019s Story<\/h3>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-small has-background-center-position\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Don-Graves-Portrait-2-scaled.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:1px\">.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div  class=\" wp-block-pbs-blocks-row no-image\">\n\n            \n    <div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-col has-image has-background-size-small has-background-center-position has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/helicopter-landing.jpg');\">\n        <div class=\"content\">\n\n                            \n<div class=\"wp-block-pbs-blocks-content has-pdl-90 has-pdr-90\">\n    <div class=\"content\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-text-align-center has-large-font-size has-dark-blue-color\">For more real-life stories spanning the broad history of our nation\u2019s military conflicts, please visit our <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/national-memorial-day-concert\/about\/past-stories\/\">Past Stories<\/a><\/strong> page.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"parent":839,"menu_order":75,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6174","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.7 - 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