JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Veterans and military families honored the sacrifice of service members during a Memorial Day "Remember and Honor" ceremony held Saturday morning at the Jacksonville National Cemetery.
“We come Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, We come to celebrate. They may gone but they’re still with us," Rebecca Wigginton, a former national guard member, said.
Rebecca Wigginton attended the event to honor her two brothers who are both buried in the Jacksonville National Cemetery.
She spent 3 years in the national guard. Her husband, who sat beside her, is a veteran with 20 years of service in both the air force and the navy who served in the Vietnam war.
“My two dogs did not come home from Vietnam, I was a military canine handler and I honor those two because they were veterans too," William Wigginton said.
The group gathered around the main flag pole in the cemetery, listened as multiple keynote speakers, many military members, gave remarks. A fly over of military air craft took to the sky during the event, and over 15 wreaths were laid during the ceremony. Performances of the national anthem, amazing grace and taps were also completed.
“We should never forget the men and women who gave their all for our freedoms," Joe Snowberger, a retired US Navy Commander, keynote speaker at the ceremony and founder of the Northeast Florida Community Veterans Engagement Board, said.
The event is one of many memorial day events that will be held around the country. On Monday volunteers with the Honor Project will lay flags at the gravestones of our fallen heroes at the Jacksonville National Cemetery.