WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — After several events on D.C.’s National Mall commemorating Veteran’s Day, many veterans and family members paid their respects to fallen soldiers at the area memorials.
The veterans told DC News Now the day was important for them to feel seen and appreciated, even if that’s not why they performed their acts of service.
“We don’t fight because we’re afraid of what’s in front of us, we fight because we love what’s behind us,” said Jimmy Carter, a veteran who lives in Rockville, Md.
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Carter said he was moved by the people who visited cemeteries and memorials to honor those who fought for American freedom.
J. Lee Hillie, of Washington, D.C., said the feeling of Veteran’s Day is “indescribable,” saying he and his fellow veterans were “part of what makes the world go around.”
Greg Mello was visiting D.C. from Massachusetts for Veteran’s Day. He said Veteran’s Day is a day “to stop and remember.”