WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO) - Wapakoneta veterans and civilians took time to pay their respects to the families of the soldiers who never came back.
The ceremony included guest speakers explaining topics like the significance of military funeral traditions and a wreath laying by a father whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2013.
For the second year, a ceremony was held in honor of Gold Star Mothers and Family Day, a time to show support for those who had a son, father, or sibling killed in action. The ceremony included guest speakers explaining topics like the significance of military funeral traditions and a wreath laying by a father whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2013. Congress declared Gold Star Mothers Day would be observed on the last Sunday of September back in 1936.
"They honored the mother first because it was her child, and then afterward they figured out, wait, the man had a father, and he might have had kids, and he had brothers and sisters, and they all suffered too. So, in 2009 they changed that, and they honored the families at the same time," explained Mike Borges, the president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Wapakoneta Chapter 1126.
Photos of 33 out of the 42 fallen soldiers honored at the Gold Star Family Memorial.
"They're the ones that had the next biggest sacrifice. First was the veteran, then their family, their loved ones, their wives, their kids, their mothers and fathers and brothers. They also sacrificed when they lost their lives, so it's a family thing," added Ace Ambos, the secretary and treasurer of V.V.A. Chapter 1126.
Photos of 33 out of the 42 fallen soldiers honored at the Gold Star Family Memorial in downtown Wapakoneta were also on display during the ceremony.
