26-05-2025
Fallen service members recognized at 58th annual Memorial Day Ceremony in Baltimore County
Ten fallen service members were honored at the 58th annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium.
Each name was announced one by one on Monday, with special attention given to those who died while on duty within the past year.
"No matter how many years pass, the weight of this day never lessens," said Maryland Congressman Johnny Olszewski. "The importance of us gathering never grows thin, and because of that, the names of our heroes will never be forgotten."
There were a few service members mentioned at the beginning of the ceremony who recently passed and will be honored at the 2026 Memorial Day Ceremony.
"He lived and he loved"
SPC Jacob Mullen, at 25 years old, was killed in January.
"It was just really nice to know that even people who have never met him or never heard of him now do know him and have heard of him," said Gold Star mom Linda Mullen.
Even though this Memorial Day was difficult for the Mullen family, Linda Mullen said it's important that her son's memory is kept alive.
"He lived and he loved with his whole heart," Linda Mullen said. "So that's my new motto: to love like Jacob did. And to make sure that everybody that I know and I love knows that I love them because he did that."
"He wanted to die a hero"
PFC Charles Hyman, another service member honored, died in June 2024, at the age of 33.
Hyman's mother, Carline, said he was a natural-born leader and gave his all to defending America, even though he was born in Jamaica.
"He always said he wanted to die a hero," Carline Hyman said. "He said, 'I want to do something amazing that where people will look back and say, 'Charles Hyman did this,'"
Remembering the purpose of Memorial Day
Mothers of the fallen service members ask that while people are enjoying Memorial Day that they think of those who lost their lives.
Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, with the Maryland National Guard, said it's important to value our freedom in memory of those who fought for it.
"Let's strive every day to be worthy of their sacrifice. God bless our fallen heroes, God bless the USA," Birckhead said.
