Hundreds of people of all ages and from all walks of life gathered to honor the fallen Monday night during the annual City of Largo Memorial Day ceremony. 

The commemoration started at 7 p.m. at Largo’s Central Park, in front of the Military Court of Honor. 

Fr. Bob Swick was the keynote speaker. Swick is a decorated Marine veteran who served in Vietnam. He now serves as the chairman and CEO of the Tampa Bay Veterans Alliance. 

“Armed Forces Day is to honor those still in uniform. Veterans’ Day is to honor those who wore the uniform,” opened Master of Ceremonies Lt. Chris Burke. “And Memorial Day is to honor those who were never able to take the uniform off.”

The meaning of Memorial Day wasn’t lost on those in the crowd who came to remember. 

“We’re all Americans, every one of us, and it’s a small. simple thing for me to take an hour out of my day to come out and say thanks to everybody who served and passed away,” said Largo resident and Navy veteran David Norvell. 

Norvell comes to the ceremony every year and says it’s upsetting to see the crowd continue to grow older and older. 

“Seeing the kids in the ROTC, them coming out, that gives me hope,” Norvell explained. “Because the generations that are coming have not experienced the loss that previous generations have.” 

Kids like Jayson Farrell, who is a member of Clearwater High School’s Jr. ROTC and performed at the ceremony. Just because the 15 year old is too young to remember the wars that many of the veterans at Monday’s event served in, doesn’t mean he forgets the reason why they gathered there that night. 

“If it wasn’t for these people that signed on the dotted line, put their lives on the line, we wouldn’t be able to do anything,” Farrell said. “Even be here right now.”

“If we don’t do things like this and remember our veterans and invite people out, people will forget,” Norvell added. 

As Norvell pointed out, an hour out of your night is a small sacrifice to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Monday’s ceremony wrapped up at little after 8 p.m. 

This year’s Largo Memorial Day Planning Committee comprised of members from:

  • City of Largo
  • American Legion Post 119
  • Centonzio Law
  • Disabled American Veterans Association
  • Korean War Veterans
  • Military Officers Association of America 
  • Military Order of the World Wars
  • Serenity Funeral Home & Serenity Gardens Memorial Park