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In keeping with that tradition, Maj. Gen. Pat White, commanding general, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, and Soldiers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st AD, hosted the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery here Monday.
“As we take this day to remember our country’s fallen, and look back through our history to honor all those that gave their lives for our freedom and our liberty, let us recommit ourselves and remind all Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day,” White said. “I cannot emphasize enough how our observance of this day, understanding and respecting its true meaning, is so important to all of us, our wonderful community, and our future generations.”
As the 1st Armored Division Band played, about 1,000 citizens from the El Paso community came together to pay their respects and remember the fallen. Veterans, family members, Boy Scout troops, service members and Gold Star families were scattered throughout the audience. They spoke amongst themselves with fond memories of friends and loved ones lost. Many laid pennies atop the gravestones as they walked by, a symbol of their appreciation. A solitary chair rested at the front of the stage draped in a POW and MIA flag.
“What we must do is remember the sacrifice,” said Glenn Powers, a guest speaker at the event, and the Deputy Under Secretary for Field Programs and Cemetery Operations. “We must remember what they did, why they did it and appreciate what it means for us.”
“Today is a day for all of our men and women who have served faithfully and moved on,” Powers said. “We remember.”
Memorial Day was originally dedicated to honor the fallen during the Civil War. As the years have passed, it has come to mean much more. This day is more than just honoring those who gave all; it is a time for all Americans to rededicate themselves to the ideals that America represents, and teach our children about the sacrifices of those who came before.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2017 10:59 |
| Story ID: | 237990 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Bliss remembers fallen, by SFC Kelsey Miller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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