Hundreds of veterans and active military members attended a Memorial Day ceremony at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in NYC on Monday to remember those who died serving their country.
The Missing Man formation flyover struck an especially deep chord for some of the World War II veterans aboard the ship.
"It brings tears to my eyes," Harry Heist, a World War II veteran, said. "To honor all the men and women who didn't come back."
Heist served on the Intrepid when it was an active warship. So did Henry Mouzon, who said he was in major battles in World War II.
Mouzon's granddaughter, Kimberly Mouzon, said being at the ceremony with her grandfather was a fulfilling experience.
"It's an honor to be here and I'm just glad that he is being recognized for his service," she said.
The focus of Monday's ceremony was on those who didn't make it home — including 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, a Marine killed in Afghanistan.
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His father, four-star General John Kelly, addressed Monday's gathering.
Kelly says he "desperately" tried to convince himself that his son's death was "all for something."
The answer came to him during the burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Kelly says it didn't matter what he was feeling: His son believed freedom was worth the ultimate sacrifice.
Kelly says the nation's future is secure as long as there are "tough young Americans" who leave comfortable lives to "hunt down" those who would harm it.
Before throwing a ceremonial wreath into the Hudson River, Mayor de Blasio, whose father nearly died in Okinawa, said for many every day is Memorial Day.
"Their sacrifice is felt so deeply every day -- every single day -- by mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters," the mayor said.
