(ABC 6 News) – Veterans and active service members of southeast Minnesota gathered Saturday at Soldier’s Field Memorial Park in Rochester to honor our fallen military members.

Veterans from nearly every branch of the U.S. military came to lay a wreath in remembrance of their fellow soldiers.

“Being able to have veterans from each branch lay their own wreath, that has a lot of power behind it, I think, being able to honor their own branch and every other branch,” said First Lieutenant Elias Petri.

The laying of the wreaths ceremony also teaches our youth about the sacrifices of those who came before, so they can understand why they were made.

“Freedom does not come free and it still costs a price, and we need to teach our next generation that that freedom can be stripped from us any second and we need to be able to understand where that freedom came from,” said Cadet Commander of the southeast Minnesota Composite Squadron Ben Olson.

The ceremony is an annual reminder of the continued respect and commitment to supporting our veterans and remembering our nation’s bravest heroes, who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.