CLEARWATER, Fla. — In Clearwater this Memorial Day, people joined together at Veterans Memorial Plaza at Crest Lake Park to honor those who sacrificed their lives in military service.
For many in attendance, those sacrifices hit close to home.
Jean Denny's husband, Don, was a prisoner of war in the Korean War for more than two years.
"For 28 months, he was held captive by the Chinese and North Koreans," Jean said. Don eventually came home but saw many of his fellow soldiers die during his service.
Since his passing, Jean keeps Don's memory alive by sharing his story and those of his fallen comrades.
"If they didn't have each other, they wouldn't have survived and they're all gone now," she said. "Most all the guys from [the Korean War] are gone."
Stephanie Dow also knows the power of sacrifice because of what her father, Wallace Lawton, endured.
"My dad was in D-day. That was his first battle was D-day. He was on the first wave, the fifth boat," Dow said. "He said he went to war so we wouldn't have to."
The ceremony's keynote speaker, at one point the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in the country, 12th Sergeant Major Jack Tilley, urged people to reflect and remember this Memorial Day.
"When a veteran dies, I think they die twice," Tilley said. "Once when their heart stops and once when we stop saying their name."
To veterans still living, Tilley hopes Memorial Day serves as a reminder to show gratitude.
"You know, even if you say thank you to a veteran, that's at least something, that's important."
As Jean Denny remembers her husband, she suggests we honor their memory by being people worth their sacrifices.
"Be decent to one another," Denny said. "This is a great world and we can make it greater by being nicer to one another."