Special Memorial Day Service Held In Lodi To Honor Fallen Heroes
LODI (CBS13) - All gave some but some gave all. Memorial Day is when we commemorate those heroes. CBS13's Rachel Wulff took us to a special service in Lodi.
"His name was Christopher Bobby Nem, and he was a great kid," said his father Peter Vienna.
Vienna choked back tears while talking about his son who was killed last July in a training accident off the California coast.
Lodi Memorial Service Cherokee Memorial Park @CBSSacramento @GoodDaySac pic.twitter.com/545hBKzbn7
— Rachel Wulff (@rachelwulff) May 31, 2021
"He was on the AAV that went down with eight of his Marine brothers. He was the corpsman, so this is a milestone for us," he said. "It's the first memorial day that we've had to go through."
His son's death is a reminder for him and others about the sacrifice of those who served.
"My father served in World War 2 and the Philippines and got a bronze star for things that occurred over there. And he is passed away now," said Kyle Beckman.
Beckman and his family have attended the Cherokee Memorial Park Service for years.
"This is our daughter. They were raised coming and now the next generation," said Beckman's wife.
Maria Guerrero gathered with her grandchildren by her husband's gravesite. There are several generations of family honoring several generations of service.
"My uncle, my mom's brother, and my mom's grandpa -- they are here too," said Guerrero. "And my son-in-law was military."
Children passed out flags.
"We're handing them out to all kinds of people for the ceremony," said Dakota Littrell-Thomas.
It's a time to pay tribute so future generations don't forget.