Frank “Pancho” Romero played the "Star Spangled Banner" on his trumpet for a crowd of around 60 people gathered at Mesilla Veterans Memorial Park to honor their loved ones.
All across the country, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are celebrating Veterans Day in different ways, and this year, for America’s 250th, the vice-regent of the Doña Ana chapter said she was inspired to host a special, inaugural event.
“We owe everything to all of our veterans who have fought for us and those who have served in peacetime," Mary Lee Bailey Shelton said. "Though many of them have died, we didn’t want their memories to die.”
The park was lined with over 300 flags, each dedicated to a veteran with their name, their branch, any wars they fought in and how long they served.
There’s a quote by a WWII ship designer named Pierre Claeyssens that goes, “To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen. To be forgotten is the worst.”
KRWG’s KC Counts and Scott Brocato read aloud 500 names in remembrance of veterans who fought in the Revolutionary War and beyond. Shelton said although most of the people called were likely from the region, there was no limitation put on who was accepted for representation.
Attendee Roycie Roeder, who served in the Air Force in the early '70s, said it’s important, especially for young people, to participate in events such as this.
“I think we always need to stick together," Roeder said. "It doesn’t matter what side you’re on; that we’re all together for a cause. I think it’s good to remember the people that did serve, not me necessarily, and lost their lives.”
For those wanting to keep the flags on display for their loved ones, Shelton said to pick them up before the display closes at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30.
Serena Johnson is a fellow with the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships Program, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across New Mexico. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
