Dozens gathered Monday at Sky-View Memorial Park to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice — and to remember the real reason behind Memorial Day.

The Quakake American Legion Isganitis, Heckman, Messerschmidt Post 973 conducted its 79th Memorial Day service at the Hometown cemetery, complete with speakers, an honor guard and bugler.

Retired U.S. Army Capt. Joseph Shamonsky, who served during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, delivered the main address.

“Memorial Day is a day of reflection and remembrance. It is a day to remember all of our fallen heroes from all of the wars,” said Shamonsky, a member of the Coaldale American Legion. “It is a day to think about the families that will forever grieve for their lost loved one. It is a day to be thankful to those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Too often, he said, Americans think of the holiday as a long weekend that signals the start of summer fun.

Shamonsky asked that they instead honor and remember those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

“Those are the souls we respect on Memorial Day. This means it is a sacred day. Without retrospect, sacrifice is mute,” Shamonsky said.

He said many Americans take what they have for granted, without remembering the reason they have their freedom.

“This is why it is so puzzling that the meaning of Memorial Day seems to lack substance to many of our own people,” he said. “The day itself lacks consequence to too many.”

As a war veteran, and son and grandson of war veterans, Shamonsky encouraged veterans to pass on their wisdom to younger generations, and parents to remind their children of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

“Let us all stop for a moment, whether it is on the traditional day, or the observed Memorial Day, or even at the end of May,” Shamonsky said. “Let us reveal to those lost how much we cherish their sacrifice for our free people. Let these memories harvest our recognition of the meaning of Memorial Day in a very simple word. And let that word, simply stated be: Thanks.”

The Rev. Bob Adams of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Barnesville offered prayers.

“People are gathering as we are here to think about and memorialize all the sacrifices made for our freedom,” Adams said of observations around the country.

Post member Dale D. Kline served as master of ceremonies.

He looked out to the cemetery, where flags were placed on the final resting places of 3,825 veterans.

That’s the true meaning of Memorial Day.

“Take a moment, stop at one, just to say ‘thank you,’” Kline said as he closed the service.