Cars slowly entered the Hilltop Cemetery in Pagosa Springs this Memorial Day 2020. The quiet sunny morning had the fragrance of blossoms in the air. Gravesites were adorned with flowers and American Flags. The dignitaries were shoulder to shoulder heads held high.
Those who came to honor and remember with reverence bow their heads in respect. The military honors the American Flag raising it to full staff and then slowly lowering it to half mast on this Memorial Day.
In the distance we hear the engines of the The San Juan Formation Flyers coming closer with a tribute they call the formation “The Missing Man Tribute”. They have left Stevens airfield to flyover Pagosa Springs Medical Center, downtown Pagosa Springs and then directly over the Memorial service at Hilltop Cemetery. With precision, they added to the ceremony.
There was a prayer of thanksgiving for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those serving to keep our country safe, reminding us we live in a great country. The traditional salute of rifles and the solemn bugle playing Taps.
A small town with a big heart, may Pagosa Springs continue the tribute again and always.
Pagosa Springs photographer Jeff Laydon shoots people, places and products — on location and in his studio. Learn more at PagosaPhotography.com