DUNWOODY, Ga. — In many different corners of metro Atlanta, people got together Monday to observe Memorial Day, remembering those who served our country and never made it home.
This year, many were able to take part in person after many were switched to virtual last summer because of COVID-10.
For Mike Reed, joining fellow Dunwoody neighbors to observe Memorial Day was a must.
“Doing something like this that they’re doing right now, does honor those who paid that sacrifice and it also reminds us that there’s a price to be paid,” he said.
Reed was a fighter pilot in the Air Force and served from 1980 until 1990. In that time, he said he had to deliver heartbreaking news to families who lost loved ones and he wasn’t spared from loss either.
“Even though those were the Cold War years, we still had one or two people I was very close to who took off on a mission and didn’t come back,” said Reed.
In Dacula, Juanita Jackson and her grandkids were thrilled to be at the town’s parade - this year in person versus last year when it was virtual.
“We did something at home because we had to be inside and couldn’t be out. That’s why we’re so excited for today,” said Jackson.
“This is a great occasion for the community to get together to remember the fallen soldiers and veterans,” said Dacula Councilman Denis Haynes.
At Piedmont Park, the memory of more than 240 men from Fulton County killed in action during the Vietnam War will live on in a new monument going up in the near future.
For Reed, whether it’s done online or in-person, what matters most is remembering.
“Being able to see this many people that supported this way warms your heart because it shows you that yes, they get it,” he said.