BALTIMORE COUNTY — Families, friends and local officials gathered for a solemn Memorial Day ceremony filled with music, memories and powerful messages of remembrance.
WATCH: Memorial Day ceremony inspires next generation to honor fallen heroes
Among those in attendance were parents who brought their children to use the day as a living history lesson.
"These people sacrificed their lives and it's important to honor the country, that's why I brought them here," Joan Abaziuwa said.
The tribute made a significant impact on three young junior cadets who attended the event.
"The people who sacrificed their lives, their families crying, and that really touched me and it made me realize, like whoa, what if that was one of my family members and my loved ones?" said Sarah Abaziuwa, Army Junior Cadet.
"For me, it's like special because both of my parents are military veterans, so it's interesting to the lives they may have seen lost," said Samantha Temples, Junior Sea Cadet.
"It's unfortunate that these soldiers who worked together to make our country cannot look at how the country is growing and building and I just want to honor like what they did and like how they made this country," said Aaron Abaziuwa, Junior Army Cadet.
As taps played and the gun salute echoed, the ceremony served as a reminder not just of sacrifice, but of the responsibility to remember.
For 58 years, this tradition has honored fallen heroes while inspiring the next generation to carry that legacy forward.
"They could be home watching TV but I brought them here to learn this is education, this is exposure, this is a good way to inform them of how they should live their lives," Abaziuwa said.
There are other ways to pay tribute to the fallen, including taking a moment of silence or visiting memorial graves.
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