KUSA – This Memorial Day millions of people will see the name Sgt. Edwin Penn.

His family and friends called him Ed. He grew up in Englewood.

He was an athlete who won the state wrestling championship two years in a row for Englewood High School.

It was football though, that earned him a scholarship at Adams State University in Alamosa.

In 1967, during a time of war, Ed Penn was drafted. He chose not to receive a student deferment and left his mom, dad, brothers and sister to undergo basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

It was there, he met a guy named Barney. They became friends. Ed became a squad leader. On September 7, 1968, he went to Vietnam. He was there 29 days.

“That day, it was so, so weird,” Ed’s brother, Randy said. “We were playing in the yard and of course, this black sedan came up and the two officials got out of the car and as soon as you saw them, you knew something had happened.”

Ed’s mother, Louise, who lives in an assisted living facility in Denver says she can’t remember clearly everything that happened that day, but tears well up in her eyes. She says she feels “real proud” of her son.

Sgt. Edwin Penn was killed September 6, 1968 in Hau Nghia Province in South Vietnam. He was 20 years old and left a wife, Georgia and a 9-month-old son named Damien.

Barney Visser, the man that Ed had befriended, returned home after the Vietnam War. He’s now the owner of Furniture Row Racing. When the number 78 car runs on Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600, the name of Sgt. Edwin Penn will be emblazoned across the windshield.

“He is a true hero, and it will be an honor to have Ed’s name on our race car at the Memorial Day weekend race in Charlotte,” Visser said.

“It’s going to be very emotional,” Randy Penn said. “I think it’s going to be time to celebrate again, to celebrate Ed’s life. It’ll be kind of tough.”

Sgt. Penn’s wife, Georgia, son Damien, granddaughter Hunter Elizabeth, Randy (who is the mayor of Englewood, Colorado), and sister Nancy, will be at the race on May 24.

His mother, Louise, has to stay in Denver. But she says she’ll be watching the race and rooting for the number 78 car. If Furniture Row Racing and driver Martin Truex, Junior win, she says she’ll celebrate.

“Jump up and down!” Louise Penn said laughing. “I can’t jump very high, though!”

All of the cars in Sunday’s NASCAR race will honor a service member in honor of Memorial Day.

Furniture Row Racing is having the best year in its 10-year history. Truex posted ten top 10 finishes in the last 11 races.

(KUSA-TV © 2015 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)