CAPE CORAL, FL. — Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery held its 39th Annual Memorial Day Remembrance Service to honor the lives of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Organizers of Monday's ceremony say this is their way of saying 'thank you' to the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
"I'm an Air Force veteran for many years, and my wife is a veteran, many of our employees are veterans or have family members who are veterans, so everyone has been touched by some type of death during military times," said Chuck Warren.
Warren is the Chairman of the 39th Memorial Day Remembrance Service with Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery.
On Monday, dozens gathered outside the Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery despite the challenging times our nation is facing.
"With all the social distancing and the inclement weather, it was more than an amazing turnout," said Warren.
Special guests included Gold Star Parents & Families; these are individuals who have lost a child or sibling while serving.
One Cape Coral family slated to talk at Monday's service got a last-minute invitation from the White House to attend to the ceremony at Fort McHenry.
That family is of Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a Special Forces detachment commander who was killed in Afghanistan on May 29, 2004, when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device near Kandahar.
Monday's crowd held moments of silence, reflecting on the loved ones they remember as heroes.
"We lost a good friend, so we always think about him on this day. It was right after 911, he was a marine, and was killed in Afghanistan," said Victoria Woods.
Monday's service also brought community leaders and veterans organizations together and counted with military traditions like a 21 gun salute.
One of those speakers was Cape Coral Mayor Joe Coviello, who read a proclamation from the city, proclaiming May 25 as Memorial Day.
Family members and friends of those fallen soldiers say they will continue to ensure their loved one's memories live on and are celebrated for their bravery.
