FORT HUATHUKA, Arizona — On a memorable day, a message from Maj. Gen. Anthony Hale was revealed at Monday’s memorial service.

“To honor and remember. That’s why we’re here,” Hale said.

This year’s event honored several families who lost loved ones in combat. Carla Rivera Lopez and her family took the front row as this year’s winners and helped lay one of the two wreaths.

Wreaths were placed as a token of gratitude to all soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

“This day will be one of my fondest memories,” Lopez said. “We may only remember that we were given a gift in him, and that each person who is buried in this cemetery and across the country is a gift to us. We are proud to pay tribute to our country.”

Each gravestone in the cemetery was marked with a flag and a cross. Hale shares the stories of several fallen soldiers, including a Vietnam veteran from Sierra Vista.

“America is eternally indebted to its fallen heroes. These patriots are our greatest representatives and our greatest exemplars of sacrifice, valor and honor,” Hale said.

Lopez and Hale agree that the Memorial Day holiday allows communities to connect with each other and with the soldiers who lost their lives.