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Young and old, about 30 people attend the Memorial Day ceremony in Sunnydale Cemetery. Many were related to military veterans buried in Sunnydale. With compassion By Chris Strunk Last Updated: June 03, 2016 Memorial Day service recognizes veterans' sacrifice As he has for years on Memorial Day, Walter Hansen with the Valley Center American Legion read the names of military veterans buried in Sunnydale Park Cemetery, Valley Center Cemetery, Kechi Cemetery and Maple Grove. The number grows every year. About 30 people, most with ties to veterans buried in the Sunnydale Cemetery, attended the brief Memorial Day ceremony May 30 to hear their loved ones' names read aloud and to recognize their sacrifices. "We honor these veterans and all of their families," Hansen said. "We honor all those buried here and all those who came this morning." LeRoy Cammerer, also with the Valley Center American Legion, prayed for peace and comfort for families who have lost loved ones. "God, lift the hearts of those for whom this holiday is not just a diversion, but painful memory and continued deprivation," Cammerer said. "… We remember with compassion those who have died serving their country." Cammerer described Memorial Day as a time to recognize the values that have made America a free country. "Memorial Day is a day of reaffirmation of our faith, a faith and trust that those who fight for freedom will prevail, a faith that pursues the ideals of mankind," Cammerer said. "Justice and democracy will remain attainable because free people will fight for them. The men and women we honor today demonstrated the highest form of faith, the triumph of good over evil." Cammerer encouraged adults to teach the younger generation to respect American values and to realize that freedom, justice and democracy are worth defending. With emotion, he read the World War I poem "Flanders Field." |
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