Speakers kept the message simple. "We do not want to forget our veterans," one said. "Do not forget your veterans." A flyover was part of the event.
Marine Corps veteran Don Roden, who served in the Vietnam War, said the recognition means a great deal given the reception many veterans got at home. "We did not have the greatest welcomes when we come back from Vietnam," Roden said. He added that he is glad the public has gotten back behind veterans who have joined and are serving.
Mendell Schelin, a center board member, turned to troops in support roles. Those jobs, he said, can be demanding and essential. "They may have been extremely monotonous, but they required strenuous physical exertion," Schelin said. "But they were important, and that's why they call it service."
Mellessa Denny said ceremonies like this one remind people that everyday freedoms come at a cost, including free speech and the freedom to practice the religion you choose.
Families heard that they share in the sacrifice too. Students in the audience heard what those freedoms cost.
Twenty-seven ceremonies in, the ask from the podium stayed simple: do not forget.