For many people, Memorial Day can have different meanings.
“This is an important day for me,” said Madeline Poulin of Arroyo Grande.
“It's a day to pause and reflect and remember my friends and family who have given all in service to the county,” said Ken Reed, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry.
“It’s a day to remember those who served and gave their lives for our county,” said Bonnie Kee of Pismo Beach.
For Kee, it’s a way to remember and honor her mother’s memory as a World War II Veteran.
“During World War II my dad couldn't serve in the service because he had a heart murmur. My mom chose to enter the Navy as one of the original waves who served stateside in clerical capacity so the soldiers could go off to war,” Kee said.
Speakers, color guard, and the National Anthem, Monday morning’s ceremony was open to everyone with hundreds of people attending including Poulin.
“Veterans sacrifice so much,” she said.
Her dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor and she says her older brother survived Vietnam.
She has memories of past Memorial Days.
“I remember as a child we had parades and so much recognition of our Veterans and today it's the same thing here too,” Poulin said.
People from all over came to honor and pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Monday was a day to honor all service members who have sacrificed for our country.
“It's my way to pay tribute and encourage the next generation to remember and honor,” Kee concluded.
