A day of honoring the fallen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ned T. Johnston
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 5,000 men, women, children, veterans and active-duty service members took time out of their hectic holiday schedules, Dec. 14, 2013, to remember the men and women of the U.S. military who won't be sitting around the table with us this holiday season.

The morning started off at the Florida National Cemetery with the Wreaths Across America organization.

More than 9,200 wreaths were donated by sponsor's from around the world to be placed upon a veteran's grave in conjunction with a holiday wreath laying ceremony.

Randy Lewer, one of just three veterans who started the Bushnell wreaths program, was one of many speakers present at the ceremony. During his speech, he touched on the importance of the event.

"We're here today because freedom isn't free," said Lewer. "We're here because honoring them with a dignified transfer and burial is not enough. We're here today, because we believe that these men and women should not be forgotten."

Once the wreath laying ceremony came to a close, it was just a short drive to the Veterans Memorial Park and Museum to catch the dedication ceremony for the Iraq Veterans Memorial.

From March 2003 to December 2011, 190 Floridians sacrificed their lives in Iraq in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Hillsborough County is the home of the first memorial to pay tribute to all of Florida's fallen and veterans.

"Without such monuments we would forget the cost--the cost of these nearly 200 brothers, sons, and fathers of Florida who went forward under the colors of their country to serve this great nation," said Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.

Hillsborough County has designated December 14th as Iraqi War Remembrance Day.