Carolyn Moore of Russellville lost her son, Army Staff Sgt. Josh Moore, while he was fighting with in Iraq on May 30, 2007. On Thursday, she met Brandie Dixon of Woodburn, whose brother, Army Pfc. Brian Gorham, died just seven months after Josh Moore.

They met at the National Corvette Museum during the “Some Gave All” Bike Rally honoring servicemen and servicewomen who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gorham’s vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He died from severe burns Dec. 31, 2007, at a Texas hospital.

Carolyn Moore explained to Dixon and her family how she’d heard about their fallen soldier and wanted to come to the funeral, but couldn’t.

“I’m just so sorry,” Carolyn Moore said.

The bike rally started Wednesday in London and goes until Sunday with stops in Hopkinsville, Owensboro and Lexington, stretching more than 1,100 miles.

About 100 motorcyclists are participating, said Lori Lee, vice president of the Cumberland Mountain Chapter of the Kentucky Association of Mortgage Professionals and head of the Bowling Green and Hopkinsville stops. KAMP is hosting the rally.

The ride was also designed to raise money for scholarships for veterans’ children, she said. About $3,000 was raised at the Bowling Green stop.

Lee said KAMP invited about 70 families to attend the rally’s stops in 10 cities.

At Thursday’s ceremony, about 35 family members of 11 fallen service members were given framed Kentucky flags that had flown over the state capitol and certificates recognizing their family member’s service.

The families sat in rows in front of a stage.

Gorham’s family lined the back row in white, airbrushed T-shirts with his picture on the front, and just in front of them, Sara Beery of White House, Tenn., and her daughter, Elissa, 11, wore similar shirts. “My Daddy, My Hero,” Elissa’s shirt read in black and red above a photo of her father, Staff Sgt. Brock Beery.

Beery was in the Army National Guard until he was killed in Iraq on March 23, 2006.

Sara Beery said her daughter couldn’t wait to hang the framed flag in her home’s stairway with her father’s other honors.

— Click here for photos of the “Some Gave All” Bike Rally.

City and county officials, including Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker and Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon, greeted each family member as they passed to get their award.

Walker said she was on the verge of tears as she met the families.

“You just say ‘thank you,’ and you give them a hug,” she said.

Dixon said her family will probably hang the plaque in Gorham’s bedroom.

“His room is the same,” she said. “The way it was.”

But they’ve added all the medals and awards he’s received since his death.

Shirley Gorham, Brian Gorham’s mother, said she’s glad to know her son is still respected.

“After all this time, Brian did mean something,” she said.

Lee said KAMP and the bikers wanted the families to know that their loved ones hadn’t been forgotten.

“We won’t let them forget,” said one of the bikers to Carolyn Moore.

“Thank you,” she replied.

As the motorcyclists pulled away noisily from the Corvette museum to drive to Hopkinsville and recognize more veterans’ families, a group of about seven people dressed in bright yellow shirts that said “My soldier, my hero” on the back gave thumbs up and waved them goodbye.

“Thank you,” the Moore family yelled out to the departing bikers.