SCRANTON, Pa. -- Hundreds of names of the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War I are featured on a memorial in Nay Aug Park in Scranton.
These service members were honored during a Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday.
"They put their lives on the line, and history says this was supposed to be the war to end all wars, and it wasn't. As Veterans Day goes on, the veterans are important for the security of America," said Vietnam War veteran Joel Sofranko.
The memorial was dedicated in 1920 and honors the sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives in World War I.
"If they did not go over there and fight, we might have been overrun by people who would have enslaved us and killed us, and unless we are aware, it can happen again," said Sally Fischer, Covington Township.
Fischer remembers coming to this memorial when she was growing up in Scranton.
"It breaks my heart. You can barely keep yourself from breaking into tears when you remember how terrible it was in Europe, cold and wet and muddy, just a terrible thing to go through," Fischer said.
VFW Post 25 Commander James Kuchwara says while the names on this memorial died a century ago, it also serves as a reminder and to honor those who are fighting today.
"More recently we have had some that were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the families should have some relief knowing that if we are still remembering those who were killed 100 years ago, we will never forget their sons and daughters," Kuchwara said.