Lincoln residents honor fallen during Memorial Day event

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - From visiting graves to spending time with family, everyone has their own way of celebrating Memorial Day. In Lincoln, there were a number of ceremonies honoring the more than 1 million fallen service members in America’s history.

At Wyuka Cemetery, people were adorning graves with flowers all day.

Monday morning Wyuka hosted a large Memorial Day ceremony, a procession of bagpipes and flags, honoring those who died fighting for the country.

“We can never forget,” retired Colonel Kenneth Brownell said.

For some, like retired Col. Brownell, it’s a day reserved for gratitude.

“The freedoms that we enjoy are because of the men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice and the men and women who serve,” Col. Brownell said.

It’s also mixed the pain of loss for many, memories of comrades in arms who didn’t make it home.

“I remember so well that there were guys killed who had family back in the United States,” Jack Nebelsick, World War II Veteran, said. “And I always wondered ‘how come the lord decided to take them and not some of us that weren’t married yet or didn’t have families?’’’

Nebelsick served on the USS Wesson in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He said he had a close call when a kamikaze pilot slammed into his ship at Okinawa.

Jon Beckenhauer flew helicopters in Vietnam for three years and he said his thoughts also drift back to those who didn’t make it out.

“It’s a time so we can just get together and reflect on their sacrifice,” Beckenhauer said. “And it’s good to see people turn out and honor their service as well as the sacrifice they made.”

The events at Wyuka and Lincoln Memorial Park brought hundreds together and featured a laying of wreaths and a presentation by a local boy scout troop on the history of American flags.

The final Memorial Day ceremony is at the Veterans Memorial Garden in Antelope Park at 7:30 p.m.

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