PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) -- One of the oldest parades in the country is right here in Hampton Roads.
The 134th Annual Portsmouth Memorial Day Parade kicked off Monday morning. It's been a tradition since 1884. Every year, the parade salutes the men and women who served in the armed forces paid the ultimate sacrifice.
"I lost a good friend in Vietnam and it just makes me cry," said Judi Ahola, a Navy veteran. "I think about him a lot. He was a good kid."
Although their hearts long for those who died, they are proud of their loved ones' service, and know that their sacrifice won't be forgotten.
"My grandfather, my great-grandfather he was in World War II. And my daddy he was in World War II, and they died bravely on the battlefield," said Sherwood Brown, Army veteran.