Among the many Memorial Day celebrations around the country to honor fallen soldiers, one will have particular resonance for bullfighters and bull riders: the laying of a memorial wreath at the Mobile, AL, grave of PRCA bullfighter-turned-paratrooper Chris Mason. He was a Marine Corps corporal who died fighting in Iraq in November 2006.
The public is invited to bring American flags to the noon (CT) ceremony May 24 at Pine Crest Cemetery West, 1599 Snow Road South, Mobile. On the morning of the wreath laying, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT, an open car show at the nearby Winn-Dixie parking lot, 9948 Airport Blvd., will raise money for Homes for our Troops, which builds houses for severely injured veterans.
Garland Mason Jr., father of the fallen soldier and a former paratrooper himself, is helping to organize the Mobile events in honor of his son. For more information on the Chris Mason memorial events, e-mail Garland Mason Jr. at P38@bellsouth.net or visit http://imageevent.com/firebase/videos