DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The sun was shining on the graves of the men and women laid to rest at the Dayton National Cemetery. Their bravery was honored Monday as the Dayton community took time to reflect during the annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Congressman Mike Turner was one of the distinguished guests and speakers.
“We do so here at this national monument, a place that we set aside to honor those who gave their ultimate sacrifice and those who are veterans who served our nation, from which we all know that we get our freedoms,” Congressman Turner said.
2 News Anchor John Seibel was the Master of Ceremonies. This year’s ceremony was a stark reminder of the sacrifices our service men and women make to keep us safe.
Speakers included Congressman Mike Turner and Judge Dennis Adkins, along with a keynote address by Col. Scott Sonnek. He is the Deputy Director of the Airman Biosciences Division at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He touched on the importance of helping both active duty service members and veterans deal with the stress and trauma of deployment.
“I hope that they will not feel as though they are broken or have failed in some way, but they are a part of a long line of war fighters that have suffered,” Col. Sonnek said.
The ceremony ended with the laying of the wreaths by members of the military, a local Gold Star father, and Albert Brown, a Prisoner of War. Taps was played and the honor guard performed a 21-gun salute.
Peter Noyes is a Vietnam veteran from Wapakoneta. He hopes people will take time every day to remember our fallen heroes.
“We have freedoms that most people don’t have, and sadly, many people take those freedoms for granted that the people who were honored here today paid with their lives,” Noyes explained.
