Anthony Vella holds one of the steel roses that nearly 100 families across the country have received in honor of their loved ones who have died while serving in the military.
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Roses to remember
Army medic honors fallen soldiers by crafting steel roses for Gold Star families
As a combat medic in the Army, Anthony Vella witnessed the agonizing deaths of fellow soldiers killed in Afghanistan. When he returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lee in 2013, he sought to escape the memories of a “living hell” but honor his lost comrades.