The sound of names being read aloud echoed through White Haven Memorial Park—each one belonging to a service member who never made it home.
On Saturday, Rochester-area residents joined veterans and Gold Star families at the Gold Star Families Memorial in Pittsford for a solemn Memorial Day weekend ceremony. Red roses were placed in the hands of grieving relatives, a symbolic gesture of love and recognition.
Now in its fourth year, the gathering has become a tradition of remembrance, drawing community members together to honor the enduring sacrifice of military families.
Eric Wheeler, a volunteer with Veterans Outreach who helped organize the event, said offering the roses is a powerful expression of solidarity.
“It's incredibly moving thing to stand in front of a Gold Star family, whether it's the parents or the spouses or the children of these Gold Star families, and to hand them a rose, a red rose, in significance of the love that we hold you know for them and their place as members of this community.”
Dorothy Reed was among those in attendance. Her son, Army Staff Sergeant Nicholas Reed, died in 2012 from injuries sustained in combat. She said continuing to speak the names of the fallen helps preserve their legacy.
“There's another phrase that says that people die twice, once when they're buried and once when people quit saying their name. So today, my son's name was said... and as we keep saying their names, then they will continue to be remembered as well as their sacrifice, and it will go ahead and help us to be a grateful nation.”
The Pittsford memorial was inspired by Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams, who led a national effort to recognize the families of fallen service members through dedicated monuments.
The U.S. Army estimates that more than 16,000 American troops have died in post-9/11 military operations, leaving thousands of families with Gold Star status.
