ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Airmen from the 97th Air Mobility Wing participated in a Memorial Day ceremony hosted by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4876 at Altus, May 26, 2025.
The event was held at the Altus City Cemetery where the Blue Knights Honor Guard performed taps and a three-volley salute, led by Senior Airman Andres Lugo, Blue Knights honor guard member. Representatives from VFW Post 4876 also laid wreaths down on gravestones to honor fallen service members
“Being a part of this tradition is both a humbling and meaningful honor, allowing us to carry forward the legacy established by previous honor guard members over the decades,” said Lugo. “To us, it’s a solemn privilege to ensure their memory is honored with the utmost reverence and integrity.”
After the ceremony, attendees were invited to a luncheon at VFW Post 4876, where Col. Claudia Eid, 97th Medical Group commander, gave a speech honoring the memory of fallen veterans.
“Memorial Day is sacred, it is a day set aside to honor those who laid down their lives in the defense of our nation who answered the call and never returned. It calls us to live lives worthy of their sacrifice, to serve our communities with the same sense of duty,” said Eid. “To teach the next generation what it means to be free and what it costs as we gather in towns across America placing flags on graves and holding parades, let us carry with us solemn promise that we will never forget, that we will live in a way that honors their memory.”