Fallen heroes honored in person again at Fort Snelling Memorial Day ceremony

For the first time in two years on Monday morning, people honored fallen American heroes in person at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Rain didn’t keep attendees from the Memorial Day commemoration, which included remarks by Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

“To our gold star families who are here, no words spoken from this stage are going to ease the pain, but it’s important that they are spoken,” Walz said.

Daniel Michaelson, an attendee from Brooklyn Park, has found ways to honor veterans on Memorial Day for the last 15 years.

“No matter where I live, what state I am in, even if I’m on vacation, I try and find a national cemetery close on Memorial Day just to honor those who gave their all and served our country to give me the freedoms and opportunities that we all take for granted,” Michaelson said.

Ahead of this Memorial Day, hundreds of volunteers placed flags on 200,000 Fort Snelling gravestones.

RELATED: Ceremony at Fort Snelling returns to honor the fallen

Organizers said the event had to be scaled down in 2020, with selected flag placements only.

It was brought back in 2021, but with strict guidelines and low volunteer numbers.

This year, the full-size event joined dozens of others across the Twin Cities Metro Monday, even as severe weather forced location changes and cancellations.