The daily noon flag salute at Mission BBQ in Alexandria (Fairfax County) carries extra weight this week following the death of Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus, son of the restaurant chain’s co-founder Bill Kraus.
Kraus, 39, was among four elite “Night Stalker” soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during routine training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state on September 17, according to CBS News.
“Dawn and I are heartbroken to hear that Andrew Kraus, the son of Mission BBQ co-founder Bill Kraus, died alongside three other service members during a flight training,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.
The Mission BBQ in Landsdowne Centre, which opened in June 2017 in Fairfax County near Fort Belvoir, serves a community deeply connected to military service. The Army installation serves more than 216,000 military personnel, civilians, retirees and families.
Co-founders Bill Kraus and Steve “Newt” Newton opened their first Mission BBQ in Glen Burnie, Maryland on September 11, 2011. “Ten years after our world changed forever, in some small way we wanted to change it back,” the founders wrote. “We believe there is nothing more American than BBQ. And nobody more American than the brave men and women who have sworn to protect and serve Our Communities and Our Country.” The chain has since expanded to 22 states nationwide.
Chief Warrant Officer Kraus joined the Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers” — an elite unit specializing in high-risk nighttime operations worldwide. He was killed alongside Chief Warrant Officers Andrew Cully, Sergeant Donavon Scott, and Sergeant Jadalyn Good.
The Alexandria-area location has become a gathering place for the military community, where customers can witness the daily flag salute surrounded by military memorabilia and tributes to local police and firefighters. Mission BBQ has donated over $25 million to military charities and first responders since 2011.
The daily noon flag ceremony at the Fairfax County restaurant will continue.
