Fallen service members commemorated in Baltimore County ceremony
BALTIMORE-- A ceremony held at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Baltimore County remembered 11 service members with ties to Maryland in honor of Memorial Day,
Early Saturday morning, youth groups, including the Girl Scouts and Young Marines, set the scene for the annual Memorial Day ceremony, planting 3,500 American flags as a backdrop.
"Today is a day we remember everybody who did not come back. This is their day," said Jim "Coop" Cooper during the ceremony.
Corporal Wayne Miller of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) added, "A person does not die until they are forgotten. Please, in your own way, say the name of someone who needs not to be forgotten."
The names of several service members were read aloud, including Captain Kenneth C. Motsay of the U.S. Marine Corps and Specialist Tyler C. Blair of the U.S. Army, followed by a 21-gun salute.
"We owe it to them to pay our respect and to reflect on the high cost of freedom," Miller noted, as TAPS played softly in the background.
The names of others who paid the ultimate price, including Midshipman Second Class Luke G. Bird of the U.S. Navy and Airman First Class Samy T. Tcheuffa, were also read out.
Terrence Stamps, a participant at the ceremony, said, "There's always someone new and to hear their stories be told is touching... For many of you, this is sacred ground."
"Today is about more than one million Americans who died serving our nation, and it's up to us to be sure their sacrifices are not forgotten and they did not die in vain," added Miller.
"The Motsays' son, Ken, is right here next to my dad. Two fellow Marines, together, here and in heaven," Stamps shared emotionally.
"Some gave all and all gave some," echoed Miller, as TAPS ended.
Those honored during the day's events ranged from three service members killed this year to a sailor from Glen Burnie who lost his life during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
The solemn occasion serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by service members and their families in the name of freedom.
