DALLAS – On Memorial Day, hundreds of families from across Texas gathered at DFW National Cemetery to remember their loved ones who served our country, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“Being surrounded by all these people who served our country to protect our freedom means a lot,” said 11-year-old Ann Houghton, who visited her grandfather’s grave site with her family.
One-by-one in the morning, families stopped by the grave sites of their loved ones, then gathered in the center of the cemetery for an annual ceremony.
The U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division Band kicked of the event at 11 a.m.
The hour-long ceremony included a wreath and flag placement ceremony and a rifle salute.
Names were read of active duty losses interred at DFW National Cemetery.
Since the cemetery opened in 2000, it has conducted over 50,000 interments of veterans and their spouses and children, including service men and women who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom.
The cemetery is in the process of expanding to include be 280,000 burial spaces for veterans and their dependents.
Not all who are buried in the cemetery died while they served.
Ann Houghton’s grandfather was buried in the cemetery shortly after it opened.
The 11-year-old visited with her father and grandmother Monday.
“It makes me feel honored that I can say, ‘Oh my grandpa served,’” she said. “Being surrounded by all these people who served our country to protect our freedom means a lot.”
Charley May Maney said she can’t put into words how much she appreciates our nation’s veterans, so she made a red, white, and blue hat with pictures of the veterans she knows, including her husband and son.
“I call it my honor hat,” she said. “To me this is honoring the ones that have made it possible for us to be free.”
Maney’s son was laid to rest in DFW National Cemetery in December, and Monday was tough.
“To me, Memorial Day is a day to honor those who have served this country, who gave the ultimate sacrifice with their lives for the freedom we have today,” said Army veteran Stanley Speeks, who works at the cemetery.
There were flags on each grave marker Monday, thanks to the group Flags for Fallen Vets.