Many show patriotic spirit for Memorial Day honoring in Milledgeville

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC.WMGT) – Today, many are showing their patriotic spirit.
In Milledgeville, veterans and community members honor soldiers who have passed away after serving in the line of duty.

For many, Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer. But those who came to Georgia Veteran Memorial Cemetery are paying respects to four soldiers, who recently passed away.

“Today is a very special day. I have so many comrades that have served. They have put their life on the line and a lot of them lost a life, and some didn’t. So we are here to pay respect,” U.S. Army veteran Timothy Duggans said.

Every year, the Georgia Veteran Memorial Cemetery, in Milledgeville, honors soldiers who have passed away since last Memorial Day. Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan is honoring her family, filled with military men.

“For me to stand here today and see this come to pass, is a great recognition to all of our veterans and to all of those that are still serving, to make sure they are taken care of,” Parham-Copelan said.

This year, the cemetery is remembering four fallen soldiers.

“I don’t think we can give them enough credit for all that they do and we don’t recognize [them] enough and realize the extent of what they had to do in the war-zone, just to make sure we have freedom,” she said.

Veterans and family members of soldiers, believe Memorial Day has become glorified.

“My opinion, only in some aspects the generation coming up today, I feel some of them don’t realize what Memorial Day really means. Some may look at it as another holiday, a cookout,” Duggans said.

“It’s kind of disappointing as a country. We should value our men and women who have served, every day, and who don’t get to spend Memorial Day with their families and the barbeque,” Cayla Brantly said.

She believes:

“We have glorified [Memorial Day] and we need to get back to the basics of it,” she said.

Duggans plans to continue spending this day traveling to different memorial sites.

“It means, much, much more for the veterans and the other comrades that have gone on before us,” he said.

And Brantly will surround herself with loved ones.

“Think of all of the memories we have with them and go see all of our family members that are still alive and see how they’re doing and check on them. Just spend the day as a family,” she said.

Because tomorrow , is never promised.