USS North Carolina holds 59th annual Memorial Day Observance

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Hundreds of people gathered on the USS North Carolina for a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday afternoon.

After a prayer, veterans and active-duty servicemembers were recognized, as well as those servicemembers who did not make it home.

A memorial wreath was tossed into the Cape Fear River in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Louis Bourgault is a World War II veteran. He says ceremonies like this are especially important for young people to attend so they can understand the gravity of the situations previous generations faced. While he is proud of his service, he says today is not a day to focus on veterans like him.

“I always think about the guys that didn’t make it back. I’m one of the fortunate ones. There’s not many of us left, but it’s still happening. People always try to make the day — Memorial Day — about me and my peers, but it’s about those that didn’t come back,” Bourgault said.

At the end of the ceremony, on behalf of Governor Roy Cooper, Representative Deb Butler presented Captain Terry Bragg, the executive director of the Battleship North Carolina, with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.