What to Know
- The event began in 2015 with 1,000 roses and 20 participants.
- In 2016, the event grew to 140 volunteers and 6,600 roses.
- The cemetery is spread out over 77.5 acres
Hundreds of volunteers spent the morning placing red roses at the grave sites of military members lost in action.
Some Gold Star families were present for the fourth annual San Diego Memorial Day Rose Ceremony at Fort Rosecrans Cemetery.
Members of the community including some children helped to distribute 60,000 roses as part of the ceremony.
"It’s really important to me to come out to the rose ceremony for Memorial Day. I was a veteran in the Navy for 10 years -- as a matter of fact, I was stationed right here," John Vallas said with an arm full of roses as he stood at the grave of a fallen servicemember.
"We enjoy a lot of freedom in this country and it’s because of the people right here in this cemetery and the people that have given their lives," Vallas said."It's important to hopefully take a moment today and honor the people that laid down their lives so that we can go to the barbeques and be with our families and hopefully connect with one another."
Local
The program is organized by the San Diego Chapter of Truman National Security Project.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.
