Family and friends of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Hunter Brown once again are displaying a green light outside their homes this holiday season in his memory.

The second Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays is in honor of Brown, who died March 17, 2020, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, at the age of 21. He was the son of Amy and Buddy Fletcher of Seymour and Stacy and Melissa Brown of Springville.

Last Christmas, Hunter’s family was trying to think of something special they could do in remembrance of him for the holidays when Amy read online about a program called Greenlight a Vet.

“The Greenlight a Vet campaign gives Americans an avenue to express the support that our veterans deserve,” Amy said. “People can participate by displaying a green light on the outside of their home as a symbol of appreciation for U.S. military veterans.”

She said as a military family, they think it is important to show their gratitude for all veterans, so Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays was a way to not only remember their son but remember the sacrifices of all those who serve our country.

Green is the color of hope, renewal and well-being. Changing one light to green in a visible location and keeping it glowing this holiday season will help light up this Christmas season for Hunter’s family.

Fletcher’s daughters are Brooklyn, 20, Londyn, 11, Aniston, 9, and Karrington, 8. Karrington came up with the Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays slogan last year.

“We were trying to come up with a name and started naming ‘H’ words to go with Hunter,” Amy said. “Karrington said we should use heart and holidays because Hunter loved Christmas and Hunter loved us. She put it all together and came up with Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays.”

She said her daughters want everyone to know how much fun it was last year to hand out light bulbs and how they made a game out of seeing how many green lights they could find when out in the community. It was nice to think of Hunter each time they saw a green light.

“Last year, we gave out over 200 green light bulbs locally. We also had family, friends and acquaintances who participated throughout the state and the United States,” Amy said. “We estimated that at least 500 households participated last year.”

Amy, Buddy and the girls assumed family and friends would participate, but they were pleasantly surprised so many people they didn’t know supported them. Several local businesses displayed green lights in Hunter’s honor, too.

“In Indiana, there were green lights for Hunter all over the state, but especially in Seymour, Bloomington, Bedford and Indianapolis,” Amy said. “Other states were California, Washington, Utah, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and Mississippi. We especially received support in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Camp Lejeune, where Hunter was stationed with the Marine Corps.”

A lot of people have already started displaying their green lights beginning on Veterans Day and will keep them up until the new year.

“We will hand out 200 green light bulbs for free the week of Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, and participants can pick one up at our home, Burkholder Funeral Chapel, 419 N. Chestnut St., Seymour, during business hours or they can purchase one locally at Walmart or JayC Food Stores,” Amy said.

Amy said Hunter had an amazing sense of humor, and the family often remembers what they call “Hunterisms” or the funny little things he would say.

One of those Hunterisms is “I’m a hit.”

“He would definitely say he is a hit (because of Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays), but he would also feel such gratitude to this community for wrapping their arms around our family since his passing,” Amy said. “He would also be grateful to see the community supporting veterans in general. He was a very patriotic person. He loved his country and had deep respect for all those who have served and continue to serve.”

Amy said the holidays are difficult for those grieving the loss of loved ones.

“Hunter especially loved Christmas and made it a point to be home each year to celebrate with us,” she said. “We were unsure what the new normal for our family would look like and how we could get through the season he loved so much without him. Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays gave us a way to continue to include Hunter in our holiday traditions.”

Amy said there was something about the lights that made them feel like Hunter was there with them, and knowing that someone took a few minutes out of their day to show them support was so very heartwarming.

“It without a doubt helped carry us through a very difficult time in our lives. On Christmas Eve, we invited some family members from out of town to ride around with us and see the lights,” she said. “They were amazed by the show of support. We plan to make it a tradition every year to drive around on Christmas Eve night to see Hunter’s lights.”

Buddy said as funeral professionals in Seymour, they often have the opportunity to see how generous and caring the community is. They are grateful to be part of it and appreciative of all of the support they have received.

The family is requesting participants share a photo of their green lights on the Hunter’s Heart for the Holidays Facebook page, facebook.com/groups/261371515948121.