TOLEDO, Ohio — Memorial Day is a time for us to remember and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
For one Toledo family, that sacrifice is deeply personal and it holds a special meaning.
"We had planned to come today and plant flowers. And just wanted to come back today and just be here with him," said Carmen Mary Chavez.
It was a somber Memorial Day for Chavez, her daughter and her granddaughter at Calvary Cemetery.
Chavez lost her father 68 years ago on May 31, when he was defending a listening post in North Korea.
Pfc. Vincent Joseph Chavez was only 26 years old when he was killed in action during the Korean War and never met his daughter.
"Fighting for his country. Protecting and without just putting himself in that predicament for the well-being of the country and you know, it's just too bad we had to lose him in such a way," said Cecilia Vieyra, Carmen's daughter.
WTOL 11 first told you about Chavez when she was reunited with her father's Purple Heart medal after it had been lost for almost a decade.
RELATED: Purple Heart medal returned to local veteran's family after it was lost for nearly a decade
"I'm still so excited to have it, have it in my possession. I haven't hung it up to tell you the truth. You know what I do, I fix my bed every morning and I lay, I lay it on my bed. To just, to feel that he's close to me," said Chavez.
For Chavez and her daughter, Monday holds a deeper meaning and one that's full of emotion.
But together, it's about support. Support for anyone else who has also lost a loved one.
"For my mom, it's very special you know. We lost our dad, not in the war. In a car accident. So I didn't get to know my dad. I didn't get to know my grandpa. But just knowing what he's done for this country, it means a lot," said Vieyra.
"I'm not the only one that lost their father. And I just hope everyone that lost their father, they find closure. Which I did. I finally did. And just be happy and proud of their father or mothers," added Chavez.
The Chavez family has a long and proud tradition of service in the U.S. military. The extended family has around a dozen proud veterans to date, serving their country just like Pfc. Vincent Chavez did, over half a century ago.