Hundreds gathered Monday at Fort Logan National Cemetery to honor fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony, where speakers emphasized the sacrifice and memory of military personnel and their families.

The ceremony took place as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a milestone speakers said underscores generations of service members who have defended the country’s freedoms.

“Today we remember the service, sacrifice and enduring legacy of the over 1.4 million Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Duane Gill, director of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, said. “How a nation remembers its defenders is a clear demonstration of its character and its conscience.”

Speakers described the history of Memorial Day, a U.S. federal holiday dedicated to honoring members of the military who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces.

Fort Logan National Cemetery, established in 1887 and named for Civil War Gen. John A. Logan, serves as the final resting place for more than 120,000 veterans and family members. Logan is credited with establishing Decoration Day in 1868, which later became Memorial Day.

“We gather on sacred ground, ground that tells the story of sacrifice, ground that carries the names, memories and legacies of Americans who answered a call greater than themselves,” Mordecai Brownlee, president of the Community College of Aurora, said.

Speakers highlighted individual acts of heroism, including First Sgt. Maximo Yabes, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, and Maj. William Adams, an Army helicopter pilot killed in action on May 25, 1971.

“The American story has always been carried forward by ordinary people willing to do extraordinary things,” Brownlee said. “So today, may we remember with gratitude, may we honor with humility, may we leave this place, recommitted, to building a nation worthy of those who gave their lives in its very defense.”

Officials also acknowledged the families of fallen service members, including Gold Star families who laid a wreath during the ceremony.

The event included music by the Cornerstone Chorale and the VFW Band of Colorado. The Buckley Air Force Base Honor Guard gave a military rifle salute, and Col. David Nagel gave the invocation.

Brownlee closed by urging attendees to honor the fallen by fostering unity and service in their communities.

“True patriotism is stewardship,” he said. “It is the understanding that we inherit freedoms, we did not create alone, and therefore carry a responsibility to protect, strengthen, and pass them on.”

The ceremony concluded with a flyover by the Colorado Air National Guard.

“It is a sacred call. A moment for a nation to stop long enough to remember those who never made it home. 
Men and women from every walk of life, different backgrounds, different stories, and different dreams, yet united by one extraordinary commitment, a willingness to place service above self,” Brownlee said.