Hershey remembered online

Ever since it began a few days after IU student Brett Hershey's death, the Web site www.rememberhersh.com has been a place where family and friends can share pictures, stories and information about Hershey and events to honor him with each other and the world. \nHershey died in Afghanistan when his vehicle drove over a land mine earlier this year. \nAt first, the site served as a way to post information regarding funeral and memorial services, but it soon expanded, according to Webmaster Dave Fladung and Liz Keller, Hershey's fiancée.\n"(We wanted) to have a place to post memories, photos and stories about Hersh to focus on the man he was, not just on what happened March 26," Fladung said, "because Brett was a larger-than-life guy who had a character and personality that you always wanted to be around." \nTo date, there are three pages of various photo albums submitted by Hershey's friends and family, and most have been viewed 500 to 700 times since the time of their posting. There are also five pages of stories and memories of Hershey that anyone can read and add to.\n"It's neat to have a tangible Web site where people can write stories," Keller said. "Brett has friends everywhere and it's a good way to stay connected. I appreciate all of the hard work people have put into creating it and maintaining it."\nFor those who do not know Hershey's story, there are links to newspaper articles about him, a list of his military awards and a link to a Christian Web site, since the "central part of Brett's life was following after Christ," according to his brother Nate Hershey. His friends and family said Hershey tried to teach others about religious faith. \n"(It was) a part of the site that I know Hersh would have wanted me to include because the ability to have a chance to accept Christ as their savior was most important to him," Fladung said. "I made sure to put that on the site because it wouldn't be an accurate picture of Brett without it."\nIn addition, the site contains information about the Brett Hershey Memorial Fund, which will help "finance ministries and projects that were meaningful to Brett," according to the Web site. Purchasing information for black "BMH" bracelets that benefit Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization Hershey was very passionate about, is also featured on the site. The money raised through bracelet sales will go toward a fund that will pay for students to go to religious retreats and conferences, said sophomore Ty Childers, who is involved in Campus Crusade for Christ.\nThe site also features two other striking attributes: a picture of Brett with a young Afghan boy portrayed on a billboard that stands on the west side of Bloomington and a quote from the book of John that reads "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."\n"When I look at (the site) it conveys this man who loves people," Childers said. "The picture with the little boy and the quote really represent the kind of person he was."\nNate Hershey agreed that the pictures particularly show his brother's true personality.\n"He always had his arms around people," he said. "He was very affectionate and loving. He made people feel important."\nHershey's friends and family are glad they have this site to share his love and his memory with the world.\n"Creating it was great for me because it was a great way to honor Brett and remember so many things that I loved about him," Fladung said. "I know that I will see my friend again in Heaven since we both have a relationship with Christ, but I have no idea when that will be so all I have now are memories of him"