- First time seeing him again.

Last time I saw him, he was being carried on a helicopter.

Yeah, he's gonna be over in this section right here where all the military plots are at.

I see his grave, actually.

I think I see it.

Okay, yep, that's him.

(helicopter whirring) Trying to find the piece of wood to use.

I just look at the bases or both ends and see if it's cracked, how bad it's cracked, how all these cracks are in it.

The crack's gonna go all the way through.

So if you start carving that, it's gonna affect the carving.

- [Interviewer] What do you need the wood for?

- For a chainsaw carving that we're gonna do in the next three days.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) And it's called a battlefield cross.

And that's what we're gonna do.

And once completed, we're gonna take it and deliver it to a Gold Star family.

This is the only template I have in the whole carving.

I set on there and I trace it, and then I come in with my smaller chainsaw bar and cut it out, and then cut that away, and it's just blocky, and then I come back later on.

(chainsaw whirring) (chainsaw whirring) (chainsaw whirring) I mean, it all ties into the being in the military, I guess, and, well, I can't really put the words in meaning, but I wanna be able to like the families to be able to know that, you know, that their son's not forgotten or their daughter's not forgotten, so.

(hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) (hopeful music) I don't really think I'm an artist.

I mean, I don't know, I mean, it's hard to explain.

It's like maybe I feel like I really could do anything I set my mind to.

- We're honored to be part of these 17.

It's a burden, but it's an honor.

Gotta keep 'em alive.

Okay.

This is Joe's room.

(somber flute music) (somber flute music) I'm actually speechless.

And that's hard to do.

That's really hard to do.

(somber flute music) (somber flute music) It's a short tune, but that's kinda what I play for him.

- It's excited.

Good and excited.

Really glad you showed up.

Yeah, I'll say thank you again.

Thank you.

You're doing really good by all of us, you know?

We appreciate it.

We really do.

(helicopter whirring) (birds chirping) - Well, one day, I'll be here.

(chuckles) (birds chirping)