COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the 338th Army Band was concluding its performance of the national anthem, two F-16 fighter jets flew over the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus to start a remembrance ceremony honoring those who gave their lives to protect the country.
A wreath laying ceremony with retired Lt. General Michael Ferriter, the president and CEO of the NVMM, U.S. Army Sgt. Maj, Earle Rice, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Brittany McCall remembered those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Brittany McCall is a Gold Start spouse. She spoke about losing her husband, U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel McCall, during combat.
“There was a knock at the door,” said McCall. “The knock that changed who I was. The knock... that made me understand the depth and meaning of Memorial Day. The knock that had notified me that my husband had been killed in action.”
McCall says she now uses his death as a platform to honor and care for other families who have lost service members.
During the ceremony, attendees in the crowd stood up and recited the names of service members and loved ones lost.