Hundreds of volunteers showed up to the Riverside National Cemetery to pay their respects to all the fallen veterans on Memorial Day and place flag at their graves. Bailey Miller reports for the NBC4 News on May 27, 2023.
Hundreds of volunteers are paying their respects this Memorial Day weekend at the Riverside National Cemetery by placing flags at the grave sites of our country's fallen heroes.
A sea of red, white and blue American flags marking each grave of a veteran and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
It's a tradition for Rachel Fierro, she carefully places each flag at the grave sites and she does it in honor of her father, Guillermo Fierro who was an Air Force veteran. She also does it for two of her uncles who also served and are buried in the cemetery.
"It takes a moment they served our country and it is an honor to give back to our country, what they did for us is an honor and a blessing," said Fierro.
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Fierro is just one of the hundreds of volunteers taking over the Riverside National Cemetery this Memorial Day Weekend.
"It is important to get the kids out here and let them know the sacrifices others made for our freedom," said Paul Tsonas, a volunteer.
Father and son Paul and Payton Tsonas set their alarms to be here.
"It is a good person to get up early, it is for a good reason," Payton Tsonas said.
Families of all ages are grasping the bundles of flags, walking together and huddling up as they honor their loved ones and others they never knew.
"It is emotional but it's also gratitude we give a lot of thanks," said Amanda Moreno, a veteran.
Hundreds of veterans and volunteers from the Southwest Mountain Carpenters made the effort to pay their respects.
Ultimately everyone who showed up honor the main reason of Memorial Day.
"I'm really blessed to have my family members who served in the Army, I'm really proud of my uncle and my dad. I'm blessed," Fierro said.
