Ellsworth Airmen honor the fallen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Denise Nevins
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Over Memorial Day weekend, more than 190 Ellsworth Airmen volunteered at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, S.D., providing escorts to families visiting their fallen servicemembers.

For the past nine years, Airmen have participated in the three-day event which brings more than 20,000 visitors to the cemetery annually, which is more than the number of those who have visited the area since its opening in 1948.

"It's truly amazing," said Senior Airman Amanda Joyce, 28th Medical Operations Squadron base operation medicine clinic technician. "We had over 200 people sign up to volunteer within a few weeks. I think it shows the Airmen of Ellsworth are very passionate about supporting not only the local community but the people that have served before us."

During the weekend, Airmen performed a variety of different jobs, including gravesite locator and command post on an area of more than 100 acres located in the Black Hills.

"This is my sixth time volunteering during Memorial Day Weekend," said Master Sgt. Jack Rick III, 28th Maintenance Squadron wing avionics manager. "The first time I did this, I was a gravesite locator and I didn't know anything about it, but after my first day, I instantly felt drawn to it. Being able to connect with people there and bring them closure, that's what keeps me coming back."