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Two area Oklahoma National Guard members are being remembered on the Oklahoma National Guard Gold Star Tree.
That special tree honors fallen Oklahoma National Guardsmen who gave their lives seeing their country. Gold stars with the names of each state guard member are displayed on the tree.
A special tree lighting ceremony was held Saturday at the Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City.
The two area service members are Army Private Tony J. Potter, Jr., and Army Spc. Sarina N. Butcher.
Potter is from Okmulgee and died Sept. 9, 2011 in Afghanistan from wounds he received in a firefight in Paktya province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 279 Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
The 20-year-old was an Okmulgee high school graduate and left behind his wife and a child.
Butcher, from Checotah, was 19 when she died Nov. 2, 2011 from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.
She was the first female Oklahoma National Guard soldier to be killed during wartime and also is the youngest Guard member to die in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. She joined the National Guard in April 2010. Butcher. Was assigned to the Tulsa-based 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Gold Star family is a term that comes from the service flag, which were first flown in World War I by the families of the Fallen. During that time, blue stars were represented by immediate family members in the armed forces of the United States, and when a family member died in combat, the star was changed from blue to gold—the gold representing the price paid in the name of freedom.
This year 20 fallen guard members were honored. A public display of the Gold Star Tree will be available for viewing on the third floor atrium of the Oklahoma History Center through December 28. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. The Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.