DENVER — On Monday, drivers slowly made their way through the winding roads of Fort Logan National Cemetery, searching for a parking spot. Countless cars — and even more people — traversed through the cemetery, walking along the seemingly endless white marble headstones until they found the name of their loved one.
They carried flowers and coins, which they laid at gravestones, before making their way to the center of the cemetery for the annual Memorial Day commemoration honoring military members who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The gravity of that ultimate sacrifice is something Mike and Annette Martinez grew up understanding, thanks to their own fathers, who were veterans.
"Thank you. Yeah, that's it. We have to thank them," said Mike.
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Mike's father, Jose Martinez, was an Air Force veteran who passed away in 2014.
"He was a boom technician," said Mike. "He was out there as they would fuel the airplanes midair."
Emilio Muniz, Annette's father, served in the Navy from 1951 to 1954 as a Seabee construction worker.
“He showed us all how to do things that if you didn't know how to do anything, this is how he learned: you take it apart, you look at everything, and then you put it back," said Annette.
The Martinezes said that, from a young age, their families instilled the importance of paying their respects to military members who died while serving the country.
“He always told me every time you see somebody who was in the service, you show them respect, and you show them tribute for what they did, because they put their life on the line," said Annette.
"Whenever you see a veteran, you salute them, you appreciate them," said Mike. "And we do, we really do, because they gave up their all, so that we could be here, where we are enjoying life."
