TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. -- People lined Tioga Street in Tunkhannock for the borough's annual Memorial Day parade. The parade is a tradition the area takes special pride in.
"It's very significant to the community for all the people who have served in the armed forces, past and present," said Eric Kukuchka, Assistant Chief of Triton Hose Co.
"Today, to see the thousands of people here, it makes me extremely proud to be a veteran and proud to be an American. That's what people are all about. Proud to be an American. We live in the greatest country in the world," said Jim Holmes of Tunkhannock.
Along the parade route, Staff Sergeant Steven Tudor was recognized. Tudor, a graduate of Dunmore High School, died in action in April 2007 while serving in Iraq.
After the parade, people moved to the Wyoming County Courthouse where an emotional ceremony brought some in attendance to tears.
"My father was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. My husband is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and I'm very proud to be an American," said Mary Louise Macarchick of Tunkhannock.
For veterans of the armed forces, seeing people turn out on Memorial Day means a lot.
"The reason why we're here is because of what they sacrificed before us," said Frank Gaus, a Vietnam War veteran.
The parade wraps up every year at Art Keefer Little League Field where people let balloons fly into the air with tags of soldiers, who died at war.
Memorial Day is a special day for a widow and daughter of a fallen soldier from Luzerne County.
"It helps us heal because we get to share our story with so many people and we get to see what happened with their family members and remember them," said Holly McBroom, widow of Sgt. Guy Jacob McBroom.
Holly's daughter Lily, is so very proud of her father.
"A lot. Very much. As big as the entire world," said Lily McBroom.
The Memorial Day activities in Tunkhannock wrapped up with several baseball games at the complex.