ATLANTA — "Today I remember those who I served with that didn’t come back," said veteran Dennis Mahon while standing in Marietta National Cemetery. With tears in his eyes, Mahon explained, "And as you look around, you can see to many didn’t come back."
Today the nation remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Across the metro Atlanta area, there were dozens of events honoring the lives lost while protecting our country.
From Alpharetta, Cobb, Roswell and Dacula, to name a few, 11Alive was there as thousand showed up to remember the true meaning behind Memorial Day.
The Roswell Memorial Day ceremony is considered one of the largest in metro Atlanta. The family of Colonel Michael Blassie spoke to more than a thousand people. Blassie was the unknown service member from the Vietnam War buried at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Years later, with the help of DNA testing, Blassie’s body was identified and moved to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Across town in Cobb County, around a thousand people showed up to honor the men and woman who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Veteran Dennis Mahon was visiting from New Jersey and was surprised and in tears over the turnout and says a lot of places may have parades, but ceremonies like the one in Marietta are not as common anymore. His message to the next generation. “Believe in the country.”
