Candlelight vigil at Veterans Memorial honors Gold Star families' sacrifice
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum held a candlelight vigil Sunday for Gold Star families, or families who are mourning a family member who died in the line of duty. It was a solemn and reflective service as families heard the names read of their fallen loved ones. They said it's a constant healing process, but it also creates a bond like no other.
'You'll never lose the connection with each other,' U.S. army veteran Mark Graham said. 'So, we are like one big family that came together that didn't want to come together for the reasons.'
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Graham served in the army for over 34 years. His two sons, Kevin and Jeffrey, also served in the army but tragically died. One died by suicide. The other was killed in an explosion. That now makes Graham a Gold Star father. He said it's a club he never wanted to be in.
Graham served in the army for over 34 years. His two late sons, Kevin and Jeffrey, also served in the army. One died by suicide, and the other was killed in an explosion, making Graham a Gold Star father. He said it's a club he never wanted to be in.
It's a pain Cortney Riley also knows all too well. Her brother Joseph was killed in the army in 2014.
'We want people to remember our soldiers,' Riley said. 'We want people to continue talking about them and tell stories. And this is a time where it's just very dedicated for us to be able to have that opportunity with other families who we know that they know what we've been through.'
Colonel Bill Butler is the president of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. He was on active duty in the army for 27 years.
'From 1990, when I first joined the Army, all the way until one of my last years in service, I've got guys that I served with who were killed either in action or killed in training,' Butler said.
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'People say, 'Well, don't you get upset about people going to barbecues and picnics,'' Graham said. 'No, that's why we serve in the military, so that people can do those things and live free in America. That's why we do what we do.'
Every person at Sunday's vigil had a reason for taking part. Attendees said it was a moving and powerful ceremony.
'Ernest Hemingway's attributed with a quote that every person dies two deaths, when they grieve their last breath, and when their name is said for the last time,' Butler said. 'And for me, Memorial Day allows me to, you know, remember those guys, say their names, so in a way they're not dying that final death.'
Monday morning the museum will host its Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at 10 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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