Memorial Day looked and sounded a bit different this year in Jefferson City because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but maybe not that much different; solemn remembrances may have changed, but not the sacrifices honored by them.
The silence and stillness aside from softly waving flags and chirping birds was the same as before among the graves at Jefferson City National Cemetery.
However, there's usually a large ceremony at the cemetery every Memorial Day, and the Jefferson City Veterans Council did not do that this year after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs barred large public gatherings at national cemeteries because of the pandemic.
Instead of hundreds of people, on Monday, there was one man to honor the fallen.
Darrell Ryan, an Army veteran and cemetery administrator, gave a prayer and said a few words before placing a memorial wreath next to the cemetery's flag pole: "It is an honor and a privilege to honor the veterans on this day," veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for the nation.
Ryan is the assistant director of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, which maintains Jefferson City National Cemetery.
After placing the wreath, he played a recording of taps.
A couple hours later, those same solemn notes were played again at the Missouri Veterans Memorial, that time by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1003's Honor Guard. The Jefferson City Veterans Council still held a Memorial Day ceremony this year, only at the memorial on the north side of the Capitol instead of at the cemetery.
The event was smaller than it usually would have been at the cemetery, but a crowd of approximately 75 people still came in person.
"We must never forget those brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines," said Don Hentges, Army veteran and president of the veterans council.
"Because they gave so much for our freedom, we owe it to them to exercise our freedom and do what we must to preserve our freedom," Hentges said.
He said the events of the pandemic have "made me realize how we take our freedoms for granted too often."
Alluding to restrictions on daily life in the interest of public health, he added government has been a part of his life more than he'd like it to have been for the past few months, but "I know it was necessary, and I thank them for it."
Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin said of the altered ceremony location, "This just shows that we continue to find ways to honor our veterans, despite the challenges that we face.
"We didn't think we would be here, but sometimes those challenges can bring out the best."
Hentges thanked Tergin for her involvement in organizing the alternate event, and Tergin thanked the state and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe's office.
"Our veterans often encounter the unknown, and they put their lives on the line so that we can have a good life in the best country on Earth. And how can we honor veterans during times like these? In one word, respect. Call a veteran. Ask about their service. Visit a cemetery any time throughout the year," Tergin said.
She said, "We think of ways that we can start new traditions to honor our veterans."
Even though no large public events at national cemeteries were hosted this year, the cemeteries remained open for visitation.
Though other war-related locations around the state remain closed because of the pandemic, there are also plenty of opportunities for people to remotely stay engaged with history and the stories and sacrifices of those who have gone before us - among them:
More information on Jefferson City National Cemetery is available at cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/jeffersoncity.asp.
Jefferson City's Museum of Missouri Military History regularly posts history, trivia, articles and photographs to its Facebook page, facebook.com/MOMilitaryHistory.
The Capitol's Missouri State Museum also continues to post content on its Facebook page, facebook.com/MissouriStateMuseum/.
The State Historical Society of Missouri's digital collections include materials related to Missourians' involvement in various wars and military services. Military-related research guides - as well as research guides on other topics - with links to related digital collections, can be found at shsmo.org/research/guides.
The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City has online learning resources available at theworldwar.org/learn/online.