COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — It was a good day to remember. Thousands of parade-goers, spectators, and friends and family of veterans attended this year‘s Commerce City Memorial Day parade.

It is not about barbecues. It is not even about parades. And it is certainly not about bargains. It is about remembering.

Elizabeth Trujillo remembers Mario Martinez.

“My dad‘s baby brother. I think he was in his first year in Vietnam, but he was only 19 and stepped on a landline,“ said Martinez.

Nicholas Trujillo remembers his older brother Thomas Ortiz who served in Vietnam.

“He was an older brother, well, he was a linesman. He was a private first class, of course, he used to run up wooden poles and run a line. On one of his gaffes, he slipped and got a piece of splinter going inside his throat, and got Agent Orange out of all that,“ said Trujillo.

After returning to the United States, Ortiz passed away.

Bob Fajardo remembers fellow shipmate Airman Kawalski. They both served in the Navy during Vietnam on the USS Constellation.

“He was coming back from a visit on the land side and the plane crashed in the ocean and I think we lost about 26 people that day,“ said Fajardo.

Vietnam Veteran Tom Allen was a recovery mechanic with the 11th Cavalry. He remembers his good friend Bob Federowski.

“He was in the Marines. I didn’t serve with him but I think he was KIA in ‘68 or ‘69. Something like that,“ said Allen choking back tears.

Some voices silenced, while others remembered.