Veterans of Foreign Wars State Commander Cliff Bauer’s words were clear.

“They were our parents, our children, our brothers and our sisters and our friends.”

That is the way Bauer described the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have fought for their country in the armed services.

Many of those who have fallen at the hands of foreign enemies over the years were honored Sunday with the annual Woodland Cemetery service, one of several remembrance services throughout the area this weekend in observance of Memorial Day.

Bauer urged those in attendance to never lose sight of the real meaning of Memorial Day — the sobering one that is sometimes lost amid the parades and picnics and social gatherings.

“It often seems we are more preoccupied with enjoying the luxuries we have today … than with paying tribute to our country’s fallen heroes,” Bauer said.

Before his benediction, the Rev. Chad Pemberton noted that it seemed the ratio of people who have served their country in the military seems small in comparison with those who have not.

“Yet our country was formed and abides today because of the few that have,” he said.

The Woodland Cemetery service is sponsored each year by the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade Committee. Brent Pyles, committee member, was master of ceremony. Vocalist Herb Rose sang the national anthem, accompanied by keyboardist Sharon Bradshaw. Members of the VFW Post 8850 provided color guard and gunnery salute and members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 765 laid wreaths while bugler Zach Jenkins played “Taps.”

Attention now turns to the 138th Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade at 10 a.m. Monday in Ironton.