SEAFORD, DE -- The Seaford Veterans Committee and members of the Delaware American Legion held a Memorial Day ceremony at the Seaford Veteran's Memorial Monday morning. Neighbors, veterans, and their families attended the event to honor local fallen veterans.
The event included performances of the National Anthem, the playing of taps, and the raising of the flags above the memorial. Delaware American Legion First Vice Commander Charles F. Michel said the ceremony is in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"It's been said that a veteran dies twice. Once on the battlefield, and then again if they're forgotten," Michel said. "To have this many people come out to honor those that came before us and ultimately sacrificed, it's an honor for all of us."
Members of the American Legion gathered local veterans in front of the memorial as they read the names of those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
One of the names read was Richard Dennison. Samuel Thomas Adkins Jr., who attended the event, told WBOC about his time serving with Dennison.
"I'm here to pay respect to him and a lot of other friends who died in Vietnam," Adkins Jr. "It means everything in the world to me. Serving is a dedication to your country."
"I get choked up a little bit. America is the land of the free, because of the brave," Michel said.
Michel said they estimate more than 200 people turned out to Monday's event.