NORFOLK, Va. — Thursday marks the official start of the holiday season. For most people, it's a time of celebration.
However, for some military families, it's exactly the opposite, even though it's the most wonderful time of the year. For those grieving the sudden loss of a military loved one, the holiday season can be tough.
More than 7,000 troops have lost their lives in combat since September 11, 2001, and that doesn't include the countless others who died, not in combat, but in other active service.
For Gold Star Families, the holidays mean an empty place at the dining room table.
Mark and Nancy Stets know all about it. They lost their soldier son, Army Staff Sergeant Mark, Jr., in Pakistan in an improvised explosive device attack almost 10 years ago.
"For the holidays, there's that sense of loss," said Nancy. "I know Mark's family, Nina and the girls didn't put up a Christmas tree the first few years, quite a few years because Mama couldn't do it."
One thing the senior Stets' have done to help cope is to create a ceremonial coin, honoring the life of Mark Jr.
"We were given coins for various reasons, and we were sitting here one day and decided we needed to have something. A coin commemorating Mark's service and sacrifice," said Mark.
"It is a nice thing to be able to do. It's a way of honoring Mark but also of honoring the people we give the coin to," Nancy added.
The military family support group TAPS has a holiday survival guide for Gold Star families. It offers numerous tips such as seeking spiritual help and finding peer support.