KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thousands of people attended Memorial Day events at the World War I Museum and Memorial on Monday.
The day began with a formal program with remarks made by dignitaries.
"We like to come to the ceremony, I think it's important for us to remember that and for them to hear that," Amanda Moore, who attended the ceremony, said.
A Memorial Day toll bell ringing ceremony also took place, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"[It] Gives everybody kind of a sense of belonging to the community, the veteran community, what our fathers and grandfathers sacrificed so we could be here and do this on a Monday afternoon," John Williams, American Legion Commander at Post 189, said.
For people who spent the day at the WWI Museum and Memorial, there were many different ways for them to interact directly with veterans.
"It was nice to take my daughters over and show them that their Mimi and Pop were both in the war and what that was," Liddy Miller said.
The American Veterans Traveling Tribute of the Vietnam Wall was one of the main attractions Monday.
"My husband and I have been wanting to come down, we're both Vietnam Veterans," Rosemary Olas, a Vietnam Veteran, said.
A huey sat out front of the museum on display for all to see and sit in. A huey was the helicopter that was the United States Army's workhorse during the Vietnam War.
The particular huey on display Monday had been shot down and repaired several times.
"It's helpful because the kids don't get any of this in history, you know the history books on Korea and Vietnam and WWII, maybe half a page," Williams said. "So when they can come out and look at the helicopter for example, it gives them a first hand experience of what it's about and they can get up in it, sit in it. [It] kind of gives them a sense of maybe what it was about."
For the veterans who were present, seeing young people interested and learning about history is all they could ask for on this Memorial Day.
"I think the beauty of it is, there's so many young people and they need that appreciation of what has really happened to give them this privilege, so that's really a special thing for me," Olas said.
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