MARQUETTE COUNTY, Mich, (WZMQ) – Throughout the nation on Memorial Day people gather in parks, cemeteries, and even the streets, to remember fallen service members.
“Today we gather here, and in every corner of our country,” said Lt. Col. Lucas Lanzi. “To honor all of our patriot brothers and sisters tat gave everything for us.”
For many people these Memorial Day services are a reminder of what our freedom costs.
“This is a gift our country has because of our fallen family members,” said Lt. Col. Lanzi.
“All of us, new Americans, Americans who’ve been here for a long time, we all have a lot to thanks for the folks who have given their lives,” said 109th State House District Rep. Jenn Hill.
For others, the events are a symbol of the lasting patriotism of Marquette County and the whole Upper Peninsula.
“I will speak to the incredible commitment of UP residents to our armed forces,” said Rep. Hill.
“It’s nice,” said American Legion Post 44 Commander Leo Smith. “It’s nice moving forward and the people that appreciate you and appreciate what you do.”
But for many veterans and their families, today’s reminders are deeply personal.
Lt. Col. Lanzi recalled losing a brother in arms, and how the cost of freedom was made real for him and the fallen heroes family.
“I met [his wife] Shena at her door, and said these words: The secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deepest regret that your husband Timothy was killed in action on seven April due to injuries sustained by a roadside bomb. The secretary extends his deepest sympathies to you, your family, and your tragic loss,” said Lanzi. “And then went upstairs and his wife followed me, and I knelt by [his son] Riley’s crib as he slept, and I uttered those same words.”
With the help of the community, the services, parades, and displays helped make memorial day truly special for veterans and their families.
