He Made It

Chris Ring officially finished his swim down the Mississippi River on Friday. He swam the entire length of the Mississippi River to honor Gold Star Families and the loved ones they lost. When Chris was interviewed on CBS this morning about his journey he made two things very clear. The first was that he did this not to become the first American to swim the entire length of the river but to bring awareness to his fallen comrades. He wanted to give the families of service men and women killed in conflict a reason to say their names and talk about who they were before they made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The second thing that Chris wanted to convey was that even though he was a Navy Seal he wasn't a great swimmer so this tribute didn't come naturally for him. When asked if he ever thought about giving up, he replied "Never".

So what is a Gold Star Family? They are families who have had a member of their family lose their life serving in the Armed Forces during conflict fighting for our nation. It was a recognition that actually began during World War I and has continued on through today's Military. Chris swam to support an organization named Legacies Alive that helps Gold Star Families and helps bring public awareness to their needs.