Tahoe dons red shirts for fallen soldier

The uncle of a Carson Valley soldier killed in Afghanistan last year is helping the mother of a South Lake Tahoe soldier killed in Iraq this year establish a walk in her son's memory.

Patricia Smith's son, Sgt. Timothy M. Smith, was killed April 7, nearly a year after Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Rodgers was killed when his CH47 Chinook was shot down.

Rodgers' family conducts a two-mile red shirt walk in Carson City every Friday. Uncle Mike McElfish said Smith's mother has asked for help in organizing a similar walk in South Lake Tahoe.

Saturday is Timothy Smith's birthday and has been proclaimed Timothy M. Smith Day by El Dorado supervisors.

Supporters will gather 11 a.m. Saturday at the Safeway on Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe. McElfish said plans for the walk include a balloon release at El Dorado beach.

"We continue our walk every Friday to show support for the gold star families, the blue star families, veterans and our troops," McElfish said. "You can still support the troops without being pro-war or pro-peace."

Gold star families are those who've lost someone in combat. Blue star families are those who have someone serving in the war.

"We try to support the gold star families in our area any way we can," McElfish said. "We want all the gold star, and blue star families to know that we realize that freedom is not free and we will never forget."

Rodgers was killed May 30, 2007. McElfish, a Mound House resident, is donating Vortex flash suppressers to soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The suppressers allow soldiers to fire their weapons without giving away their positions.