The parents of Air Force Senior Airman Mark Forester of Haleyville, Ala., accepted the Silver Star on behalf of their late son during a June 15 ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Forrester died in action while attempting to assist a fallen teammate during a Sept. 29, 2010, firefight in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. Forrester’s actions also enabled comrades to take out 12 insurgents and capture a significant cache of weapons. Forrester was attached to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, based at Pope Field, N.C., at the time.
