BEDFORD, Va. – Hundreds of people came together at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford Monday to honor our veterans.
In a ceremony, dozens of veterans from all walks of life and each branch of the military were honored for their service.
"I’m glad I did give my service to them. I love my country," WWII veteran Daniel Villarial said.
The words of gratitude spanned generations, with people young and old offering their thanks.
"I said, 'Thank you for your service,' and I shook their hands," 9-year-old Sarah Clubb said.
"We need to know how our freedom comes about. We need to know what goes into our free country," 13-year-old Joshua Clubb said.
Brig. Gen. Lapthe Flora spent more than 30 years fighting for that freedom.
"Their sacrifices in the name of peace and freedom have made this country what it is today," Flora said.
Flora grew up in Vietnam during wartime, escaped and came to the U.S. as a refugee.
"The service means so much to me simply because of the second chance that I was given from this country," Flora said.
In his keynote speech, he chose to honor those who came before him.
"They make a difference not only in this country, but in the world and I am the living example of that," Flora said.
Like many veterans, Flora said the sacrifices he made were worth it to have the opportunity to live out his American dream.
"It’s just like a speed bump, it's very minimal in comparison to all the freedom that we have enjoyed," Flora said.