SAGINAW – Hundreds gathered Sunday to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Annual Memorial Event at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery-Duluth, just south of Pike Lake. As attendees set up their lawn chairs on the crowded grounds at 4777 U.S.
Highway 53, the 34th Infantry Division Army Band played in the background. The ceremony began with a welcome from Cemetery Administrator Cory Johnson. “Many bear the physical and mental wounds of serving, and some gave all in fighting for what we stand for as a nation,” Johnson said.
“We keep these sacrifices in the forefront of our minds every day, and we recognize our responsibility and ensure these living shrines, these memorials, are perfectly maintained to the highest standard possible.” Following the posting of colors by the Duluth Honor Guard, Joy Rasmussen, along with the 34th Infantry Division Army Band, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the audience stood with their hands to their hearts. A parade of flags concluded as Jean Captain of the Duluth Honor Guard took the podium to give the Memorial Address.
For six years, Captain served as an electronics technician in the Navy during the Vietnam War. ADVERTISEMENT Of over 58,000 names engraved on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Captain noted that her cousin’s name doesn’t appear. Although he was the sole survivor in a vehicle that hit a landmine, Captain's cousin would die two years later after driving his car into a tree.
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