SAN ANTONIO – Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery hosted a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday.

At the 154 acre National Cemetery, there are approximately 144,000 grave sites, a constant reminder of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

This past weekend, American flags were placed on the tombstones in preparation for Memorial Day. It is an annual tradition dating back decades. One lady said she and her two sons when they were children would help place flags on the graves. She said she never envisioned she would be one grieving at the cemetery.

He husband died of an illness a year ago.

"My family and many other families we did this for many years. We never knew that one day, our loved one would be here,” said Cheryl Sievers.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Sylvia Sanchez delivered the keynote speech.