Ryan Weaver joined the United States Army right after high school and unfortunately, Weaver saw firsthand the destruction and heartache of war.

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In April of 2003, Weaver was deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, and not long after his deployment, Weaver's brother Aaron was deployed just west of him in Falluja. Weaver made it home. His brother did not.

In 2004, Weaver's brother Aaron was killed in action when enemy fire took down the Medivac helicopter he was traveling in as a passenger. Weaver's loss didn't end with the death of his brother. In 2013, Weaver's brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was laid to rest just one row away from where Aaron had been buried nine years before. Billings lost his life when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device.

Aaron, Ryan, and Steve Weaver at Ryan's Flight School Graduation via Ryan Weaver
Aaron, Ryan, and Steve Weaver at Ryan's Flight School Graduation via Ryan Weaver
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Weaver, a 21 year veteran of the United States Army who served as a Black Hawk Aviator and Chief Warrant Officer 3 as well as the former Patriotic Voice of the Professional Bull Riders, took his heartache and the untimely loss of his brother and brother-in-law as a sign that he needed to chase after his own dreams because life is too short and uncertain.

Weaver used his voice to honor those lost as a result of the 9/11 attacks with a song he co-wrote called "Never Forgotten." The video for Weaver's song "Never Forgotten" features fallen heroes as well as some of his own family members. The video starts with an emotional and rare story from Rich Miller, an NYPD ESU Officer who shares how he initiated one of the most poignant moments just hours following the September 11th attacks.

Take a moment to listen to Weaver's tribute song and watch the gripping video for "Never Forgotten."

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