LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The City of Henderson’s ceremony to honor the men and women who died serving the United States took place in Cornerstone Park next to 400 American flags.
Many in attendance were veterans who remembered the people they lost.
“I lost a lot of friends in Vietnam,” said Purple Heart recipient Daniel Peterson.
“I miss the guys that didn’t come back with us,” said veteran Michael Morisoli.
Morisoli also earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam.
“I got wounded twice. Bulldozers and landmines don’t mix,” he said. “There’s one guy that took my place on a truck, and he didn’t come home. They sent me someplace else. A couple days later, he hit one that he didn’t survive.”
Peterson also took time Monday to remember those who did not come back home.
“I said my prayers this morning and thanked them for what they had done for our country,” he said.
Sometimes, recalling those memories can be difficult.
“That’s something you can never recover from,” Vietnam veteran Ralph McNamara said. “I try to put it away and not think of it too much, except for days like this.”
Morisoli says it’s worth pushing through what sometimes can amount to mental anguish to show up for your fallen comrades.
“It’s hard. It’s easier to stay home,” he said. “But (I come) just to honor those that didn’t come back.”
The 400 flags will be left up during all of Memorial Day.
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