For many, Memorial Day is spent remembering fallen service members. Those who gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix on May 29, 2023, witnessed the celebration that takes place each year. Thousands of volunteers place flags on grave markers to honor the life of each individual. (Photo By Evelin Ruelas/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – Families gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona Monday to pay respects to fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. Hundreds of people watched a flyover by the Phoenix Stearman Group and a performance by the 108th Army National Guard Band. The main event was a presentation of the wreaths from various veteran service organizations.
Like many who have lost a loved one in military service to the United States, Sgt. R.J. Mitchell marks the day to remember a fallen comrade. “I lost my best friend,” said Mitchell, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who spoke at the Monday ceremony. Others came to commemorate not only fallen military members but to remember family and friends buried at the cemetery.
