Thousands of families spent Monday at the National Cemetery in Phoenix to remember the fallen.
A flag marked each grave of a soldier, sailor or marine. They served all of us by serving in the armed forces. Relatives and friends placed flowers by the headstones. Some sat for hours on shady benches as the reflected on the lives of the men and women buried here.
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"It brings a lot of peace to me to know this is here for us to come to, and you know that they all have some common bond," Pat Speer said as she visited her father's grave.
"It's very special because they died for freedom and for us," said Peyton Berger, who was visiting the cemetery for the first time.
Families and friends also attended an annual Memorial Day ceremony at the National Cemetery. It included a 21 gun salute and the playing of taps to honor those who died in the military.
