EATON RAPIDS, Mich. — While many celebrate Memorial Day with barbecues and family gatherings, residents in Eaton Rapids gathered to remember the true meaning of the holiday – honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
• Eaton Rapids residents gathered for the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice
• Local community members, including Mayor Pam Colestock, shared personal connections to military service during the commemoration
• WATCH NEXT: The ceremony concluded with the reading of fallen soldiers' names and the ringing of a bell in their memory
"We don't appreciate our freedom as much as we should. It's a day to remember the ultimate sacrifice that thousands and thousands of men and women have given for us," said a community member.
Eaton Rapids held their annual parade and memorial service Monday, bringing together residents to pay tribute to fallen soldiers.
David Colestock expressed pride in his community's commemoration efforts.
"Proud, proud, there's a lot to be proud of today, it's a big Memorial Day and if you think about it. What we're honoring, is not the big picnics and time at the lake but it's honoring our fallen soldiers who have provided protection for the freedom we have in this country today," Colestock said.
For Eaton Rapids Mayor Pam Colestock, the day holds special significance.
"The fact that we can pay tribute to our veterans, they paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we have all the freedoms that we enjoy today in America. And I think it's really important to take that time to honor them," Colestock said.
The commemoration is deeply personal for many attendees, including Christine Reese, who has multiple family connections to military service.
"My late husband was in Vietnam, my brothers both served in the army and the Marine Corps. Arthur, our son served in the National Guard and army and was a medic in Iraq. So, we have a lot to be thankful for today," Reese said.
The event concluded with a solemn ceremony where the names of fallen soldiers were read aloud, followed by the ringing of a bell in their honor.
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