AFA Participates in Official Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery 

Americans nationwide solemnly observed Memorial Day on May 27, a day dedicated to honoring the valor and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to their country. AFA joined senior U.S. leaders at Arlington National Cemetery to pay homage to our nation’s fallen heroes on these hallowed grounds. 

The official Memorial Day ceremony, now in its 156th year, serves as a poignant reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who have served. It was held in the cemetery’s amphitheater, where senior national leaders—including President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.—delivered remarks.  

Following their tributes to the fallen, the wreath-laying ceremony provided an opportunity for military service organizations to honor their members who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Representing AFA during the ceremony, Tech. Sgt. Lloyd Swede, President of AFA’s D.W. Steele Sr. Chapter, and Col. Bob Hill, USAF (Ret.), the Chapter’s Secretary, laid AFA’s wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

“It was an honor to represent the thousands of AFA members at this ceremony,” Swede said. 

As the nation paused to remember and reflect, the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery served as a poignant reminder of the debt owed to those who have laid down their lives in defense of freedom and democracy. 

“Honoring these heroes helps remind us that freedom is not free,” Hill said.