A commemorative ceremony was held Tuesday at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma honoring the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I.
Volunteers from the Department of Veterans Affairs presented a ceremonial wreath at the cemetery’s rostrum, and cemetery director Graham Wright spoke of the history of The Great War in front of media cameras and unoccupied gallery seats.
“As much as we would have loved to have a large crowd out here to honor those, World War I was a long time ago- it was 100 years ago, and most of those individuals have passed and gone on,” Wright said.
The ceremony’s modest attendance doesn’t take away from its importance in Wright’s eyes.
“It’s important for our generation to always be tied to the previous generation and remember the sacrifices Americans gave during a time of war,” Wright said. “We should never forget what those sacrifices are.”
According to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, more than 53,000 Americans were killed on the battlefield during the war, and according to Wright, 10,993 World War I veterans are interred at Fort Rosecrans.
Flags nationwide were flown at half-staff and half-mast in observance of the burial of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, at Arlington National Cemetery.
