DAYTON — Hundreds of flags were placed among 62,000 graves for Memorial Weekend.
News Center 7’s Amber Jenkins was at the Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton and learned the importance of Memorial Day.
The volunteers put up 270 flags around the cemetery on Friday morning, lining 62,000 graves of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, to keep the flag flying.
“I was glad to serve and continue serving as a veteran,” said Travis Hyder, Marine Veteran.
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Fresh out of the Marines after 10 years of duty, Hyder said he will honor those before him and comfort the families who have buried a soldier.
“It hits home every time, when Memorial Day comes around,” Hyder said. “I try to reach out to any close family members. Get with them, have dinner or lunch.”
As he transitions to veteran living, Memorial Day weekend is the time for Travis to make up for lost time.
“Spend time with my family,” he said. “Especially serving, I spent so much time away from them. Now, I can spend more time with them.”
That’s why all these soldiers lay their lives on the line. Seeing these graves reminds Travis he’s not alone and there’s so much more to learn.
“I need to learn more,” Hyder said. “I actually want to come here and learn more about the history of the Dayton cemetery.”
The 62,000 soldiers rest in peace and memory, and they are the reason the flag still stands.
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