DAYTON — A Memorial Day ceremony was held at Dayton National Cemetery, honoring fallen service members.
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The cemetery is the final resting place for 63,000 service people, with approximately 10% having died during military conflict.
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The Dayton National Cemetery is one of only eight national cemeteries across the country to inter veterans from every American war.
It was designated a National Shrine in 2014.
Speakers at the ceremony emphasized that fallen service members make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms enjoyed by the nation.
The ceremony included the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner and a 21-gun salute.
Thousands of flags flew in the breeze next to the gravestones of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
James White Sr., father of fallen soldier James White Jr., lost his son in Afghanistan in 2006.
James White Jr. was a graduate of Wayne High School and served in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division.
White Sr. laid a wreath during the ceremony in honor of Gold Star families, those who have lost a family member in service.
“We think about that every day,” White Sr. said. “There’s no words for that feeling.”
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Todd Stewart also spoke at the event.
“As a commander, perhaps my toughest duty was to inform a family of the death of a loved one,” Stewart said.
He told the crowd that the ultimate sacrifices made by those in uniform pay for the nation’s freedoms.
“I personally believe we can best honor them by celebrating their lives,” Stewart said.
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