CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chris Hotchkin places an Army ornament on the Gold star Christmas Tree in honor of her son Gunner who died in the line of duty in Afghanistan in 2010.
"I'm here to honor my son," Hotchkin said emotionally. "I like to represent him at every event I can."
Linda Chapa LaVia, with the Dept of Illinois Veterans Affairs, said when a soldier signs up to serve, their families sign up with them.
"It's of course amazingly difficult, but you have great support from the military," she said. "Meeting fellow Gold Star moms and famlies has really been a nice thing for me."
