Thad Forester’s grim fears were confirmed. His younger brother, Senior Airman Mark Forester, his best friend, had been killed in combat that morning in Afghanistan. Mark had listed both Thad and his parents as his “in case of emergency” contacts, and the Air Force took care that both households would learn the news simultaneously.

Ever since that evening on Sept. 29, 2010, Thad Forester has been on a mission.

“I want to share to the world about Mark, about my brother. He fought for our freedoms. He’s a great example of how to live,” said the Tuscaloosa resident. “So many of his (military) teammates referred to him as their moral compass.”

Sunday night, Mark Forester’s story will be shared with a television viewing audience of millions when the Lifetime network features him in its new series, “Coming Home” at 9 p.m. The reality-genre show, which debuted earlier this month, highlights military families being reunited with loved ones returning from deployment. Mark Forester’s segment will be the first, and only episode this season, to spotlight a fallen military service member.

Initially, because it is a show about happy endings, Lifetime balked at the idea. But the man pitching it, U.S. Marine pilot Lt. Col. Frank Latt, was so insistent that the 2006 University of Alabama graduate’s heroic story be told, they changed their minds.

“They were filming an episode on the USS Harry S. Truman in December, and Frank was on the aircraft carrier. He kept telling them he had a story for them. They weren‘t interested because it didn’t fit their format,” Forester said. “When he told them the story about his and Mark’s relationship on the battlefield, they decided they had to do it.”

Ironically, Latt never met the Combat Controller. He only knew Mark as the commanding voice from the ground who radioed and guided the pilots above in combat missions.

“Frank emailed me a few days after Mark’s death, and he emailed me his account of the battle where Mark died. We kept in touch, and he contacted me to tell me about the show. Frank had already been planning to come to Haleyville and meet all of us, and the show wanted to highlight that meeting. We talked it over as a family and decided to do it because we wanted Mark’s story told. We wanted people to know he died a hero,” said Forester of his brother who lived with him in Tuscaloosa from 2002-07.

The television crew spent Jan. 20-23 in Haleyville, interviewing Thad and his siblings, and their parents, Pat and Ray Forester, among other things. Latt’s arrival, via flyover with him in the pilot’s seat, was filmed along with Latt’s presentation to the family of an American flag.

“Frank had a flag that he kept in the cockpit of his plane. Like Mark, he is very patriotic. Mark wore a flag wrapped around his body armor. When he was killed and they cut his armor off, they found it with the bullet hole in it,” Forester said. “When Frank heard that story, he said he had to give the Foresters his flag. He was there in the air talking to Mark and could hear gunfire over Mark’s radio that day. All the sudden Mark’s radio went silent.”

According to the Department of Defense account, Mark and his Special Forces team were under machine gun and sniper fire near the village of Shama Shad. Mark was coordinating air support to cover the team, tossing smoke grenades to pinpoint positions to direct the bomb targets and evacuating the wounded, all while rocket-propelled grenades were being fired. The team medic was shot, and Mark killed the shooter. Rushing into the open area to retrieve the wounded medic, he was fatally shot in the upper left chest and had a gunshot wound on his left forearm.

The family will not gather together to watch the show.

Since "Coming Home" will only show little of Mark and why they chose to use him and Frank as one of their stories, I'd like to share how it came about. 

Lt. Col. Frank Latt, who heard the intense firefight over Mark's radio, and was providing Mark overhead air support on that fateful day, was on the USS Harry S. Truman returning from deployment in December. He met some of the film crew, who were taping for this TV series. Frank kept telling them he had a story. He would say, "Hey TV dudes, I have a story for you." They weren't interested because it didn't fit their format. When they finally listened to him, they knew they had to do this story. Frank and I had already been in contact since October and he already planned to visit us in January. Then he told us of this opportunity to get Mark's story out there, then the network contacted us, and a few weeks later they spent about four days in Haleyville filming and interviewing. Even though the show will only air about 22 minutes on Mark and Frank, we feel the TV crew got a good sense of the man Mark was by spending that weekend with us, his teammates, friends, and with Frank. Frank is passionate about the skilled controller Mark was and conveyed that perfectly. He really was a star for the show. We've had a few good laughs thinking how Mark would feel that he's on Lifetime--he wouldn't be happy. As ironic as it is, the show is a good thing and we thank Lifetime for telling part of his story.

Thanks to Frank, Mark's episode of "Coming Home" is the only of it's kind--at least this season. All other stories are happy reunions. Unfortunately, our warrior didn't get to return home to us alive. Frank is helping Mark's memory to live on.

We are grateful to all the crew from RelativityReal Media and Matt Rogers for the time spent with us and the many hours filming and editing. We still keep in touch with some of them regularly. 

Tributes to Mark include a website, www.markaforester.com, and the Mark Forester Foundation, a scholarship fund for students from Haleyville High school who embody great character. Thad is writing a book, and, on May 14, 2011, one day before what would be Mark’s 30th birthday, he’ll walk 30 miles in Haleyville. Carrying Mark’s weighted camouflage backpack, he trains in Tuscaloosa and vows to continue the birthday walk every year until the day he dies, adding one mile to each passing year. A 5K, 10K run and a 1-mile fun run will also be held in Haleyville that day. Money raised will go to the foundation.

MY BROTHER IN ARMS 2013, the book's finished; On September 29, 2010 my brother, Mark Forester, was KIA while fighting terrorist in Afghanistan. His heroic legacy of being shot down while preparing to rescue a fallen teammate began long before this tragic day. An Apache aviator said of Mark's final battle: ..."I have never witnessed such an act of heroism in my three years of fighting in combat. I have over 2,700 hours total time with 1,500 hours of combat time in both Iraq and Afghanistan...JAG 28 continued to advance on the enemy while taking intense enemy fire, and continuously fired his weapon in an attempt to get to his fallen teammate and destroy the enemy." Mark chose to enlist in the Air Force as a Special Operations Combat Controller after he received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. Because of his above average grades and near-photographic memory, his Business Finance degree would have done him well. But, he felt a higher calling; one that put him between us and the enemies bent on our destruction. ORDER THE BOOK HERE

2011 and 30 Miles 2012 and 31 Miles 2013 and 32 Miles 2014 and 33 Miles 2015 and 34 Miles, May 16, Register/Donate Here The Mark Forester Foundation 171 County Road 3401 Haleyville, AL.35565 A Letter From The President Dear Thad: Johnnie Yellock passed along the copy of your book, My Brother In Arms.  It looks like a moving tribute to your brother, Senior Airman Mark Andrew Forester, USAF.  I appreciate your thoughtfulness and kind inscription. I know you miss your brother dearly, and I wish there was something I could do to heal your broken heart.  Mark's noble service in the United States Air Force helped preserve the security of our homeland and defend the liberties America holds dear.   Our Nation will not forget Mark's selfless sacrifice and dedication in our efforts to make the world more peaceful and more free.  We will forever honor his memory. Laura and I send our respect and appreciation.  May God bless you and your family. Sincerely, George W. Bush

“I miss my brother every day,” Forester said. “I want this program to show the world that heroes still do exist.”

Click Here; Gun Owners Hour Interview of Thad about "My Brother In Arms"

A picture from the front; 2011   Remembering Mark!

Students from the Special Tactics Training Squadron performed memorial push-ups in honor of fallen Combat Controller, Senior Airman Mark Forester, Sept. 29, 2011. On the anniversary of the death of all fallen Combat Controllers and pararescuemen, all special tactics students perform memorial push-ups and are reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that may be required of them. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Hayden Hyatt)