NEW BERN, N.C. \u2014 Hundreds gathered at the New Bern National Cemetery on Monday to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.<\/p>\n
Roses and American flags were placed on each of the over 7,000 graves as part of the Veterans Council of Craven County\u2019s Memorial Day ceremony. <\/p>\n
The event included an invocation, the presentation of the national colors, the singing of the national anthem, a wreath-laying ceremony, and the sounding of taps.<\/p>\n
Barbara Chance, chairman of the Veterans Council of Craven County, said the ceremony is an opportunity to honor those who have sacrificed everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a day for remembrance. And it\u2019s important to remember. Because if you forget your past, you\u2019re bound to repeat it,\u201d Chance said.<\/p>\n
Among those at the ceremony were keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Ryan Rideout, Congressman Don Davis, Craven County Board of Commissioners Chair Denny Bucher, River Bend Mayor Mark Bledsoe, and a special guest \u2014 103-year-old Col. Leroy Barton, a Marine who served in World War II and the Korea and Vietnam wars.<\/p>\n
Retired Marine Guy Lewis said taking part in the ceremony and hearing about Barton\u2019s impact means everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an honor and a privilege. I started at 19, but this is for the people that came before me,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n
Another part of the ceremony was the introduction of Gold Star families \u2014 close relatives of U.S. military members who died in service to the country. Chance said recognizing these families is essential.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always want to acknowledge them because, really, they\u2019ve sacrificed more. Because it\u2019s physically and mentally impacted them with the actual loss of a person,\u201d Chance said.<\/p>\n
Among them was Thelma Ward, a Gold Star mother whose son Bobby was killed in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, just before his 21st birthday. She said she has been attending the ceremony every year since.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad that my son and others who sacrificed their lives\u2019 memories are still alive. Because he\u2019s gone, but he\u2019s not forgotten. He\u2019s not forgotten,\u201d Ward said.<\/p>\n
New Bern National Cemetery was established Feb. 1, 1867. Organizers said it is the final resting place for nearly 1,000 unknown soldiers and Union troops who died in the Battle of New Bern during the Civil War.<\/p>\n
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