- Video shows Fremont Memorial Cemetery and its hundreds of headstones decorated for Memorial Day. Also shows the Fremont ceremony honoring veterans who gave their life in service to our country.
- As millions of Americans honor the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to your country Veteran's are urging family and neighbors to learn veteran's stories while they are still with us.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Monday morning between the rows of headstones at Fremont Memorial Cemetery, with flags blowing gently in the breeze, Lois Perry looked over her hard work.
“ My mother trained me a long time ago to find everybody and to do this,” said Perry.
Every year Lois comes to the cemetery to decorate the headstones of her family.
The Perry’s were no strangers to serving their country.
“An uncle and my dad fought in World War 2. An uncle fought in the Korean War and was blinded in that war, my husband served 24 years he is retired Air Force,” said Perry.
Unfortunately as every year passes, veteran’s and their stories do as well.
16.4 million Americans served in World War 2 but according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs now only 66,000 remain.
In 2020 there were over 1 million veteran’s of the Korean War, the VA estimates by 2030 they will number less than 200,000.
For veterans like Chris Madsen, it’s important that those soldiers and their stories don’t end up forgotten.
“In time those stories will be untold. My father was a veteran as well. We didn’t ask all of the questions we should have asked and we don’t know them all, said Madsen, who also helps to honor his fellow veterans through Fremont's Avenue of Flags.
But just as important as it is to remember the sacrifices made while they served, Madsen says the stories behind the veteran’s are just as important.
At a ceremony honoring Fremont and Dodge County Veterans a native son of Fremont, Captain Paul Young the current commander of the University of Oklahoma’s Navy ROTC, urged the crowd to ask about those stories, tell those stories and inspire the next generation to serve like the Greatest Generation that came before them.
“As we honor these heroes who have given the highest price for this great nation, let’s also share some stories of how heroes are made,” said Young.
