City of Jacksonville hosts virtual Memorial Day observance

City leaders recognize to fallen veterans and service members with half-hour video tribute

The City of Jacksonville recognized the men and women who died in service to our country with a video tribute Monday. (Courtesy: City of Jacksonville/YouTube)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville on Monday hosted a virtual Memorial Day observance in recognition of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in service to our country.

Monday’s observance features remarks from Mayor Lenny Curry and members of military leadership, along with performances by the Voices of Jacksonville, the Touring Choir of the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus and Jacksonville Pipes & Drums.

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“Simply put, Memorial Day is the observance that makes all the other holidays possible,” said Bill Spann, Director Of Military And Veterans Affairs at City of Jacksonville. “Without the sacrifices of the men and women listed behind me, and the countless others resting in peace around the globe there would be no 4th of July, no Veteran’s Day, no Armed Forces Day, and countless other holidays.”

Jacksonville natives will notice the digital tribute was filmed at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Wall, a 65-foot-long granite monument and the second largest memorial wall in the country.

“We are a proud military city,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said. “The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Wall is a testament to that pride and a demonstration to our city’s commitment to never forget.”

Curry said the wall is a sacred space for the community, the largest black granite memorial outside of Washington D.C. and the only wall to honor all six service branches.

The wall remembers 1,700 Jacksonville residents and this year, Curry said, two more names are being added: Quentin Jones and Jason Recker.

According to reports, Jones, 21, died in a crash last year in Colorado. Recker contracted brain cancer while deployed and died last year after he retired home, the Times-Union reported.

View the city’s virtual observance below: