DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Residents of Dunkirk gathered at Memorial Park Monday morning to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country.
The city has held a Memorial Day ceremony for 60 years. The events of the day began with an opening ceremony at the Dunkirk Lighthouse, Park and Veterans Museum, where pieces of the city's military history can be found.
WATCH: 60 Years of Remembrance: Dunkirk community gathers at Memorial Park to honor the fallen
"In a society with an attention span that lasts but for a few seconds, how quickly and easily such sacrifice can be forgotten, even when there are reminders all around us," Knights of Columbus representative Chris Jewell told those in attendance.
"When we see ROTC, when we see our knights or our veterans every day, we should be remembering Memorial Day and those that have fallen. It should be a constant reminder," Jewell said.
The day then moved to Memorial Park. With a wreath laying at each branch of the military, and other memorials recognizing the numerous Dunkirk men and women who served.
For veterans in attendance, the day carried deep personal meaning.
"It is very special to me because of all the people that died before us that gave us the freedoms that we do have," Army veteran Mark Lilley said.
"Memorial Day allows us the opportunity to remember and honor our fallen friends and coworkers," Army veteran Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Michael Schneider said.
Schneider, who completed 5 deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan during his 23 years of service, reflected on the value of the relationships built in uniform.
"The camaraderie and the working with other branches, whether it was the Army, the Marines, the Air Force, the Navy, it is good cohesion and you get the opportunity to work with wonderful guys," Schneider said.
"No one who will be watching this could live their life the way they live their life if it wasn't for veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice and gave us the freedoms that we now have," Army veteran Ed Kaus said.
Beyond their shared connection to Dunkirk, two of the veterans present shared a bond forged in combat. Kaus' oldest brother, Harry Leonard Kaus Jr., joined the Marine Corps at 17 years old and traveled to Hawaii before being sent to Vietnam.
It was there that he met Ken Sony, and the two became close friends and members of the same fire team.
"And so he went his way and I went my way. And I lost him during that time, and when I found out, Harry, my fire team leader, was both killed," Sony said.
Sony, a Native American and United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, said the tradition of keeping the memory of fallen soldiers alive is one rooted in his culture.
"My older veterans from World War 1 and World War 2 said, if somebody dies in your battle, you keep their name alive," Sony said.
"I think about him almost every day. Good friends are hard to keep, and so I kept him. So I'll keep him till the day I die, and this is why Memorial Day is good for me," Sony said. "It helps me bring out the sadness that I had. I love the guy because he was my best friend."
Sony said he has maintained a friendship with the Kaus family for about 25 years since Harry's death.
