On a sunny morning on May 26, Alachua County Veterans Services hosted its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the historic Evergreen Cemetery.
The City of Gainesville, VyStar Credit Union and Milam Funeral Home collaborated on the event.
The ceremony honored military veterans and service members who died in service and recognized some of the families who experienced the loss of their loved ones.
Some community members wore jackets with the names of fallen service members. Commemorative yard signs were placed throughout the cemetery. In the event’s bell ceremony, Teralyn Legall, a member of Alachua County Veterans Services, rang a bell each time the name of a fallen service member was read aloud.
Some prominent Alachua County figures attended the ceremony, including Alachua County Commissioner Charles Chestnut.
“It is our duty as citizens to remember these brave men and women, whether they fell in battle or live a lifetime in uniform,” Chestnut said.
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward spoke, recognizing Gold Star families who attended.
Gold Star Families are the immediate family of service members who died while serving in the military. Ward offered a moment of recognition to each service member before Alachua County Veterans Services brought gifts to the families. Seven fallen service members and their Gold Star Families were recognized.
Joshua Datka, a retired U.S. Navy member and volunteer at Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, said he attended to honor the fallen, especially those who return from war harboring emotional wounds.
“I want to talk about freedom,” Datka said. “It’s one of the most cherished words in the American vocabulary, but freedom is not free.”
Datka told a story of a sailor who struggled with PTSD upon returning to the U.S. He recalled how a fellow veteran reminding him he wasn’t alone helped him most. By the end, Datka revealed he was the sailor from his story.
George E. Cressman Jr. recognized former Lt. Gen. Albert H. Blanding in a commemoration.
Among the 1,100-plus veterans whose graves are displayed at Evergreen Cemetery, Cressman said Albert Blanding is one of the most decorated. Blanding was a commissioned captain of the Florida National Guard in 1899 and a recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
The ceremony came to a close with a rendition of the bugle call “Taps” by Fred Judkins, a prayer by Chaplain Jason Shaw and closing remarks by Sandra Torres-Pintos, coordinator of veterans and military success services at Santa Fe College.
“Let us leave here today with full hearts,” Torres-Pintos said.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @LoganDMcBride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
