ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell took time to remember the fallen on Memorial Day on Monday with its 25th annual "Roswell Remembers" ceremony.
It was an afternoon of praying and wreath laying -- a ceremony of reflection, remembrance and recognition. There was music, moments of silence and memorials. But most of all, the message from the keynote speakers focused on how freedom isn't free.
Sgt. Maj. Joseph Sanders is a 30-year U.S. Army veteran who was at Roswell's ceremony.
"I think that a lot of service members are neglected on Memorial Day," Sanders said.
Sanders said the holiday is a time to pause and reflect for "those who have sacrificed and not necessarily lost their lives, but they lost themselves."
Keynote speaker Col. Rick White knows that pain.
"Men, that are my friends, that I was with and knew about and so forth that were killed in action in Vietnam," White stated.
White is a 30-year army veteran.
"We're saying that, 'I'm going to defend this nation if it takes my life,'" White said.
He said he feels the sacrifice that comes with freedom may be getting lost for the youth.
"Freedom is not free. Freedom comes with a price," White said. "And the fact that we can enjoy all the things that we do in America, somebody paid the price. Somebody is still paying the price because they put on that uniform, and they're taking that oath to defend our nation. So, we need to impart that knowledge, that mission, that message to our youth."
While we continue to never forget the soldiers who paid the ultimate price, we also shouldn't forget our history, as some records show one of the earliest commemorations of Memorial Day was organized by a group of formally enslaved veterans.
Sanders said a lot of people paved the way for him, including the veterans in his own family.
"Black soldiers are remembered in good regard now," Sanders said. "At one time, we were discriminated against."
So, it's not about the festivals. It's not about the barbecue. Instead, active, 40-year Air Force Col. Bo Shelton said it's about what the men and women in uniform gave us to be able to do these fun activities in the first place.
And that's the freedom that keeps him going.
"There's going to be a day when I'm one of those older guys that maybe passes on," Shelton said. "And I want my legacy to be remembered."
Anyone wanting to pay their respects can do so at Roswell's Faces of War monument behind city hall on Hill Street.