POCATELLO — Kathleen and Trent Stephens still vividly remember the outpouring of community support they saw when the body of their 25-year-old son U.S. Army Sgt. Blake Stephens was returned to Pocatello following his death in Iraq in 2007.

American flags lined the streets, crowds of people gathered as Blake’s body was escorted into town, and local groups helped to protect his funeral from war protesters who had been crashing soldiers’ funerals across the country.

Kathleen and Trent think about their son every day, but especially on Memorial Day weekend they’re reminded of the Pocatello community’s character while given an opportunity to honor Blake at the Idaho Field of Heroes Memorial.

Each year since his death, a white cross with Blake’s photo on it has stood proudly in the grass at Century High School, where Blake graduated in 2000.

Blake died on May 8, 2007, when he was part of a convoy escorting an Army colonel through Salman Pak, a town south of Baghdad. An improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, killing Blake and his vehicle’s driver.

This year’s 18th annual Field of Heroes Memorial has nearly 7,000 crosses to represent every U.S. service member who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The memorial is set up every year outside of Century High School and is open to visitors Friday through Monday.

Kathleen and Trent used to help set up the cross markers for the fallen soldiers, but ever since their son died and became one among those memorialized in the stunning sea of crosses, they haven’t been able to bear helping to arrange the memorial.

But the couple still visits the field every year to honor their son and the many others who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.

“Pocatello is a very patriotic town. We just really applaud Pocatello for doing this every year,” Kathleen said of the Field of Heroes. “It just says so much about this community.”

Trent said as the Field of Heroes Memorial was taking shape in its first few years, it was a struggle to find enough volunteers to help set up the crosses.

“Now when you hear about all of the corporations that have been involved, Century High School students have come out, it says a lot,” he said. “This community is the only place in the world where something like this happens. There are other places where there are flags up, but nothing this elaborate.”

As Kathleen and Trent looked out onto the field of crosses on Friday morning, they saw an eagle hovering low overhead. They said it’s something they’ve seen before, and they believe it’s a recurring sign from Blake that he’s with them.

The couple gets by now sharing memories of Blake and spending time with his siblings — Rhett, Brittani, Summer and Derek — and Blake’s wife Erin.

Kathleen and Trent said Blake always wanted to join the military and serve his country, and he likely wouldn’t have done anything differently in his life if given the opportunity.

“He was always military focused, so we knew he’d go. We just never thought we’d lose him. But we know that we’ll see him again. He’s not gone from us forever,” Kathleen said. “We’ll live most of our lives eternally with him.”