BERTHOUD — The streets through Bob and Donna Conde's Berthoud neighborhood are lined with American flags.
That was the neighbors' doing, Bob said, a few mornings ago while they were out.
"That was really cool," Bob said. "Most of those people don't even know us."
The flags were put there in honor of their son, 22-year-old Spc. Gabriel D. Conde, who was killed April 30 when he was hit by enemy small arms fire during a firefight in Afghanistan. He is the first Northern Colorado resident to be killed in action since 2012.
Bob said the support his family has received from the community since Gabriel's death has been overwhelming.
"A lot of people (have been) praying. I feel the grace of God all over this family right now, and I know it's because of all the people praying," he said.
The Conde family moved from Belton, Missouri, to Northern Colorado at the start of Gabriel's eighth-grade year.
"He came alive when we moved to Colorado," Bob said. "Berthoud is just an amazing community."
Bob said they knew he would be "a warrior" from a young age. As a child, Gabriel was always the one defending other children who were being bullied.
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