Generations visit National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona to reflect on Memorial Day

PHOENIX - On this Memorial Day, the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona was filled with generations of families, all for different reasons. 

Everyone at the cemetery has been paying their respects, either to loved ones or people they don’t know.

Many of them are teaching younger generations the true meaning of Memorial Day.

"When you look around and see upwards of 30,000 flags, it's not only gut-wrenching, but it's heartwarming," Brian Hutchinson said.

Thousands of flags spanning 225 acres are used to remember generations of service members who served and sacrificed everything.

"I graduated in 1966. The next week, half of my class went to Vietnam. They were not prepared for that. Many of them are in the cemetery right now," Nancy Reed said.

Each person paying their respect has a different story.

After Nancy and Brian lost the loves of their lives, they found it again in a place they least expected. The Costco line.

This Memorial Day, they come to the cemetery to visit their spouses for the first time, together.

"It is one of the things we found out in common. Like really, our spouses? They agree that we should be together," Reed said.

Families like the Rasmussens want their four kids to learn the magnitude and meaning behind Memorial Day, something often lost during the three-day weekend.

"It’s not just BBQs. It's not just the day off of work. We are here living in an amazing country because of what we are surrounded by right now," Melissa Rasmussen said.

The family of six walked around and fixed the fallen flags.

"All these people fought for us. We need to respect them today and everyday," Rasmussen said.

Some people want to be alone and mourning and others are spending the day with family and cleaning the markers of loved ones and strangers.

"We walk to dozens of graves that you can tell nobody took the time to visit. So now I keep this in the pocket of my car and it's something I do," Reed said of the paintbrush she keeps with her to dust off gravesites.

Grandparents Mike and Christine Tailford are instilling at a young age the sacrifice so many have made.

"We were trying to explain to six year olds what this all means and why. Freedom is not cheap. It costs a lot of lives," Mike Tailford said.

The coins on each marker come with significance.

Pennies mean someone stopped by.

Nickles and dimes signify they served in the military together.

Quarters are left by those who were by that service member's side when they died.

"Chills. I just have chills. It’s overwhelming to think of the dedication and the people and families that gave up so much. These are people's sons and daughters, and husbands," Joellen Newton said.