MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — A century ago the first World War ended after four years of fighting, leaving millions dead.
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Monday in Merritt Island, a ceremony marked the end of the war. Attendees remembered the sacrifices that were made so long ago.
Hundreds gathered at the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center. The National Anthem played, as did the songs for each branch of the U.S. military.
It was a salute to mark the end of the “war to end all wars.”
One hundred years ago, the Armistice of World War I happened, signaling the brutal war’s end.
"World War I saw an unprecedented level of carnage and destruction,” said Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, retired Coast Guard member and current Port Canaveral Commissioner told the crowd.
Retired Marine Bill Kowalczyk of the Memorial Center also told the crowd, "We lost 4,135 guys in less than two weeks at the Battle of the Meuse.”
Kowalczyk served in Vietnam and knows firsthand what those brave soldiers who came before him did a century ago.
"It's the blink of an eye," he said. "We should never forget the sacrifices or men and women made."
As tradition, a 21-gun salute symbolized a grateful nation.
The Veterans Memorial Center has monuments dedicated to all American wars, including World War I.