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Ceremony held at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Veterans Day is a day filled with remembrance and gratitude.

On Thursday, at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township, veterans young and old, flanked by friends and family, celebrated their service and paid tribute to those who never returned from battle.

“Veterans Day is a very important day,” said Army Brigadier General Jake Kwon, who gave the event’s keynote address. “This is where we get to commemorate and thank and recognize the service of our fellow Americans who have stepped up and answered the call for the country.”

Born in Korea, Kwon is an American immigrant who followed in his father’s footsteps. His dad served 26 years as an active-duty US Airman.

“We came in first generation following the Korean War, so we felt that for a country that gave us so much, we needed to give something back,” he said.

37th District State Senator and Marine Corps. veteran, Devlin Robinson, knows the sacrifice all US servicemembers make.

“When you sign up to join the military, you don’t know what your future holds, you don’t know where you’re going to go, you don’t know if you’re going to serve during peacetime or in combat, but you put your life on the line for something greater than yourself,” said Robinson.

He has two uncles buried in the National Cemetery.

He, along with many others, visited the graves of fallen servicemembers who mean so much to them.

“Coming out and visiting your family members or fellow veterans keeps their memory alive,” said Devlin.