Sailors at Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi (NHCCC) joined in a Memorial Day ceremony in Corpus Christi, Texas, May 30.

At the Rose Hill Cemetery, staff honored veterans by placing flags at each of their graves.

The annual event, in its sixth year, is sponsored by the NHCCC Patient Administration department.

"In preparation for Memorial Day 2010, our patient admin staff embarked on a unique community relations project that involved sprucing up the graves of our veterans," said Command Master Chief Rikki L. Brown. "To pay tribute to our fallen men and women who served the nation, each Memorial Day we assemble at Rose Hill."

The ceremony began with morning colors, followed by the playing of Taps as onlookers stood reverently in silence -- instilled with a sense of deep gratitude and appreciation for the fallen.

NHCCC Director for Administration, Cmdr. Francis V. Mclean, addressed the staff and group of family members, briefly highlighting the history of the Navy graves at Rose Hill and their significance to Memorial Day observances.

Staff then fell out of formation and began placing each of the 400 miniature flags at the final resting place of many of the nation's heroes.

"Doing this is a huge honor for me to honor our fallen comrades," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Adrian Velasquez, a medical records technician.

Velasquez is a native of Sacramento, California and a 7 1/2 year Navy veteran. This was his second year to participate.

"I will make it a point to do something like this every year," said Velasquez.

Memorial Day, previously Decoration Day, became an official U.S. holiday in 1971. It is observed on the last Monday of May to pay reverence to United States military service members.

During his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln stated, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

It seemed evident each person gathered for the Rose Hill ceremony shared President Lincoln's spirit of remembrance for fallen comrades, and realized though they may no longer be in our presence, they will not be forgotten.

Hospitalman Antonio Chavez, a lab technician at NHCCC from Dallas, Texas, expressed his appreciation.

"While I was placing flags on graves I felt grateful," he said. "It was a great opportunity to reflect on their sacrifices."

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