Memorial Day Ceremony & 24-Hour Remembrance Walk

On Thursday, May 25th, USO Rota held a Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony to honor our fallen heroes. Commands from the Rota community gathered to pay tribute to service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. The ceremony occurred at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Rota Jewish Community Bet Januká shared the tradition and history of laying stones on the graves of loved ones and provided stones for those in attendance in the act of remembrance. The Chief Petty Officer Mess and Jay Bearden, ITCS (SW), USN, Retired, placed a beautiful wreath at the memorial while piper Oscar Liste Allegue played “Taps” in the background.

Following the ceremony, CAPT Suarez and CPO Taylor escorted the U.S. flag and POW/MIA flag to the base track to commence the 24-Hour remembrance walk. The procession included Piper Oscar Liste Allegue playing “Amazing Grace.” The Rota Girl Scouts decorated bags of tea lights to illuminate the track. The remembrance walk was scheduled so our Rota community could pay their respects by signing up for 30-minute time slots over 24 hours. Over 206 community members participated throughout the night to pay their respects to those who gave us our freedom. Some walked for 30 minutes, some hours. All walks were completed with the utmost care in memory of all lost. Whether you walked alone, as a command, or with a friend, USO Rota is thankful for all who joined and helped us carry out our mission by connecting our service members to family, home, and country and remembering our nation’s heroes on Memorial Day.

#USORota #BeTheForce