Hundreds of people gathered at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis on Friday to mark the beginning of Memorial Day weekend with the 500 Festival Memorial Service.
While the Indianapolis 500 and 500 Festival Parade are the highlights of Memorial Day weekend in Indianapolis, Gov. Mike Pence acknowledged the true goal of Memorial Day: to honor veterans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
"Thank you for making time on this busy holiday weekend, proving once again what a special place Indiana is," he said.
"Here in Indiana, you prove again as summer begins, as parades assemble, as cars are fueled, as they playoffs march forward, Hoosiers never forget that Memorial Day weekend is not so much about any of those things as it is about paying a debt we will never be able to fully repay. Here in Indiana we know those ancient words are still true. That if you owe debts, pay debts. If honor, then honor. If respect, then respect," said the governor.
"You prove again the cahracter and compassion of the people of Indiana. You demonstrate again that here in the Hoosier state, we will always remember, we will always honor those who have served in the uniform of those who have served the United States, especially the fallen."
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