Area veterans and families gathered in Washington’s Central Park Monday morning to honor those who lost their lives in the armed services.

Leon Beatty American Legion Post 29 hosted the hour-long service following a Navy/Marine service at Crooked Creek Bridge and a flag raising at the Washington post office earlier that morning. The program included readings of Logan’s Order, the Gettysburg Address, and vocal performances by Washington resident Will Hart.

The keynote speaker was Dale Torpey, retired president and current board chair of Federation Bank, and Navy veteran. Torpey talked about various veterans cemeteries around the U.S. and the world that he’s visited, and the number of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. He mentioned that in his lifetime of 75 years about 550,000 Americans have lost their lives in the line of duty, “The common thread in all of these men and women is they were unselfish and were always thinking of someone else. It was never about them. We are honor bound to make it about them and that is what we intend to do.”

Torpey ended his address by telling participants to ask themselves if they are leading a life worth dying for and are doing more to create a country that is worth such a sacrifice. The program also included a rifle salute, taps, folding of the American flag, and a reading of local veterans’ names who have passed away since their last Memorial Day service in 2019.