Hundreds attend Memorial Day ceremony at Oklahoma City's 45th Infantry museum

“I have it hard every day,” Tony Potter Sr. said Monday, tears running down his face. “If it wasn't for my grandchildren and my kids, I would have given up a long time ago.”

For the Potter family and an estimated 700 in attendance at the 45th Infantry Division Museum Memorial Day Ceremony, it was a day to honor and remember those killed while serving in the military.

“It is vitally important that all Americans know that freedom is not free and never will be,” said Col. Joel Ward, commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard. “Those we honor today paid the ultimate price for the freedom that we enjoy today.”

Veterans from every branch of the military and every conflict were represented.

Colorful flags and banners dating to the Revolutionary War flapped in the wind on a warm, breezy day.

Many wore their uniforms; others showed their pride by wearing hats or jackets commemorating the wars in which they fought.

Some, such as members of the Oklahoma National Guard motorcycle group called the Guard Dogs, wore leather jackets dotted with military patches and bandannas.

“We're here to honor our fallen heroes and the ones who are still missing,” said James Martin, who retired in December after 26 years with the National Guard.

One retired soldier, Warren Myers, 90, wore red, white and blue suspenders to mark the occasion.