Following a rainy Memorial Day weekend, members of the Walnutport R.W. Fritzinger VFW Post 7215 Auxiliary gathered Tuesday to decorate the local veterans memorial.

Decorations included patriotic red, white and blue flowers, wreaths and American flags to honor those who died fighting for their country.

Longtime Auxiliary President Karen Bandzi said that veterans and auxiliary members from the VFW have been decorating the monument for the past 18 years.

Auxiliary chaplain and trustee Susan Bortz has been decorating the veterans monument for the past seven years. She said her father served in World War II for two years and her son Joseph served in Afghanistan and Iraq for eight years.

Bortz said she enjoys decorating the monument to honor members of the military like her family.

“For my family members like my father and my son, it’s nice to have a memory of them.”

Bandzi also said she also has a lot of family who served in the military.

“My father was in World War II, my husband was in Vietnam, my father-in-law was in World War II and my fiance was in Vietnam.”

Bandzi ended by noting the importance of Memorial Day and being there for those who served.

“I come from a military family and I’m going to keep following the suit of being there for our veterans and their families.”

After the members placed all of the decorations, they held a short ceremony consisting of prayers in honor of the soldiers’ sacrifices to preserve their memory.