Community celebrates the life of a fallen soldier

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. –  Wednesday night, the community came together to honor a fallen soldier and Western Kentucky University alum.

Eric Yates, a 2008 graduate through the ROTC program at WKU, was killed on active duty in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device in 2010.

The Eric Yates Memorial 5K was held at Chaney’s Dairy Barn with hundreds in attendance.

The money raised from the run benefits a scholarship given to cadets in Eric’s memory.

Eric’s mother, Kathy, says the 5K is to keep Eric’s memory alive.

“He wrote letters, and the last line of his last letter said was ‘What I’m trying to say is, I don’t want to be forgotten’ and he will not be forgotten as long as I am here we will keep this scholarship going and keep him with us,” said Kathy Yates.

So far, 17 WKU cadets have received the scholarship.