On Memorial Day, many Central Oregonians took time to honor the men and women who gave their lives while serving in the nation’s military.
Redmond Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4108 and American Legion Post 44 held a Memorial Day observance at the Redmond Memorial Cemetery Monday.
Hundreds of people gathered at the cemetery and placed flags on graves to honor fallen veterans.
“This is one thing we can certainly as a nation come together on and just celebrate the fact that there is so many people that did the ultimate sacrifice and we should honor them,” Mike LaRue, a Vietnam veteran, said. “We should as a nation just honor the people that came before, saw a cause that was greater than themselves to preserve the freedom that we have today.”
Hannah Grandey was at the cemetery in honor of her father.
“He flew B501’s over Germany and their plane was shot down and all the people on board survived, parachuted and were in a German prison camp for a time,” Grandey said. “When the allies came in he was released. He was a very honorable and great father, so that is why I am here today.”
Joel S. Taylor, too, was there to remember family and lost loved ones.
“My mother and father and several brothers and my daughter are buried here at the Redmond cemetery and it is a lovely place and certainly a fine day to be out celebrating our lost ones and also in remembrance of our veterans, which is so important to all of us,” Taylor said.
