GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Volunteers spent Saturday morning putting up U.S. flags to honor fallen Marine Capt. Miguel Nava.
The event was organized by the Alpine Township Fire Department ahead of a celebration of life for Nava on Sunday. The flags lined Division Ave N from the high school to W River Drive NE. More than 30 volunteers helped spread out flags alongside the road.
Jeremy Kelly, the deputy chief of the Alpine Township Fire Department, said the department has never done something like this before. He said it was a way for them to honor Nava and support his loved ones and the community.
“To me, it’s about the family. It’s about America. You know, we need to get back to our bases and remember that we’re here to help each other and not fight each other, and hopefully, people just pause and reflect and see the flags and say, ‘God bless America’ and be honored that they’re here,” Kelly said.
Nava was one of five service members who lost their lives in a helicopter crash during a training exercise in California last month. He is a West Michigan native who graduated from Comstock Park High School in 2013.