Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and former Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin attend the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
The Matanzas High School JROTC presents the colors during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
Former Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin attends the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony alongside his daughter, Melanie DiMartino, who performed the national anthem.
Flagler County Commission Vice Chair Kim Carney and Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro attend the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
A crowd gathers at Heroes Memorial Park during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony honoring the nation’s fallen service members.
Palm Coast City Council member David Sullivan and Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill attend the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
A crowd gathers at Heroes Memorial Park during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony honoring the nation’s fallen service members.
Memorial wreaths are displayed during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris speaks during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris speaks during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
Patrick Giuliano of the Palm Coast Fire Department performs “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes during the City of Palm Coast Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park.
Residents, veterans and community leaders gathered Monday morning at Heroes Memorial Park as the City of Palm Coast held its annual Memorial Day Ceremony honoring the men and women who gave their lives in service to the United States.
Hosted by Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris, the ceremony brought together Gold Star Families, veterans, first responders and local organizations for a solemn morning of remembrance and reflection.
The program featured the Presentation of Colors by the Matanzas High School JROTC, an invocation from Pastor Charles Solano and a performance of the National Anthem by Melanie DiMartina before Norris delivered remarks focused on sacrifice and remembrance.
“To our Gold Star families, we see you, we honor you and we thank you for your sacrifice,” Norris said during the ceremony. “We’re here to remember. To memorialize our fallen comrades, our family, our neighbors. The ones who paid in full.”
Norris also reflected on his own family’s military history, recounting generations of relatives who served in conflicts ranging from the Cherokee Wars and Civil War to World War II and Korea. He also spoke about Lieutenant Ben Colgan, a fellow Officer Candidate School graduate killed during the Iraq War in 2003.
“He left behind a wife, two daughters and a third baby girl due that December,” Norris said. “The best of us don’t come home.”
One of the ceremony’s most emotional moments came during the Community Recognition of the Fallen, where members of the public were invited to step forward and share the names and branches of service of loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Eight members of the public participated in the tribute, including Palm Coast City Council members Charles Gambaro and Ty Miller, as well as former Palm Coast City Council member Cathy Heighter. Palm Coast City Manager Mike McGlothlin also came forward to honor two fallen heroes from his own family.
The ceremony also featured the new White Rose Tribute, led by Norris and joined by the entire Palm Coast City Council.
“So today, as we say their names, we tell their stories, we carry their memories not just in speeches, but in how we live,” Norris said. “Because if we forget them, then they died twice.”
The ceremony also included the Presentation of Wreaths led by Norris, Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, with participation from local veterans organizations and Gold Star Families.
During the wreath-laying ceremony, Patrick Giuliano of the Palm Coast Fire Department performed “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, followed later by a 21-gun salute from Marine Corps League Detachment 876 and the sounding of Taps by Tom Maize of the Palm Coast Community Band.
The ceremony concluded with an Honor Walk through Heroes Memorial Park, giving attendees an opportunity to quietly reflect and pay tribute to the nation’s fallen service members.
