JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was a day of song, ceremonies and reflection at the Duval County Veterans Memorial Wall as loved ones, veterans, service members, government leaders, and citizens gathered for Jacksonville’s annual Memorial Day observance.
The yearly tradition is a heartfelt tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
The ceremony honored Jacksonville’s Gold Star Families at the Duval County Veterans Memorial Wall at 1145 East Adams St.
Eric Adrianzen represented one of those Gold Star Families at the ceremony. His brother Timothy died in a truck accident in 1979 while serving in Korea.
He said the ceremony was moving.
“It was very well put together. I’m grateful for what they did today,” Adrianzen said.
Brianna Gullotta, Adrianzen’s niece, said it was the first time she’d seen her uncle cry in 33 years.
“My uncle is not a very emotional person,” Gullotta said, adding that for her, the traditional gun salute was stirring. “The last time I heard the gun salute was at my grandfather’s funeral, so that was the part that got me.”
The city said no new names were added this year to the wall, which was dedicated in November 1995 and serves as a tribute to more than 1,700 Jacksonville-area heroes.
The second-largest memorial wall in the nation, only behind the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., the Jacksonville wall is the only one that honors veterans from all seven service branches, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.
The 65-foot-long, black granite monument stands behind a torch with an eternal flame and contains the names of service members who lost their lives in duty since World War I.
