Americans mark Memorial Day 2011

Americans from Washington to California marked Memorial Day with parades, barbecues and somber moments of reflection. Here's a look at some of the images from the Memorial Day events. (36 images)

Juan Torres, 60, of Kaufman, Texas, salutes the grave of Ernest L. Torres at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 2011. Ernest was his mother's uncle. Juan was in the Army. David Woo / Dallas Morning News

 

A man sits alone at Arlington West, a memorial display with hundreds of crosses and other religious symbols representing service people killed in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, sponsored by Veterans for Peace, on the beach at Santa Monica, Calif., Sunday, May 29, 2011. Reed Saxon / AP

Sea cadet Stephan Sobolev of Castro Valley, Calif., salutes as the national anthem is played during a Memorial Day service on the USS Pampanito submarine at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, Monday, May 30, 2011. The service paid tribute to those submarines lost during World War II and included a "Tolling the Boats" ceremony. During the ceremony the names of each U.S. submarine lost during World War II, along with the fate of its crew, are read aloud as a bell is tolled for each in turn. Eric Risberg / AP

Richard and Kelly Dare visit the grave site of her father, who served in the Korean War, during a Memorial Day celebration at the Riverside National Cemetery, Monday, May, 30, 2011, in Riverside, Calif. Nick Ut / AP

Pat Werntz places flowers at her husband's grave, a veteran who died in the Korean War, during a Memorial Day celebration at the Riverside National Cemetery, Monday, May, 30, 2011, in Riverside, Calif. Nick Ut / AP

Anthony Lopez sits under an umbrella by the grave of his great-grandfather, Army veteran Joe Levario Anaya, on Memorial Day at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Monday, May 30, 2011, in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski / The Arizona Republic

John Garfield visits the grave of his mother, U.S. Air Force Sgt. Nancy Garfield, a Vietnam War veteran, on Memorial Day at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Monday, May 30, 2011, in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski / The Arizona Republic

SECOND: WWII Veteran, Milo Chun, 93, salutes as the flag is raised at the Pioneer House, the downtown Sacramento retirement highrise. Pioneer House residents, VFW Post 8358 and Boy Scout Troup 259 hosted a flag raising ceremony to celebrate the retirement home's 19 WWII vets. Chun is one of the 19 vets who live there. Monday, May 30, 2011 Lezlie Sterling / The Sacramento Bee

Jacquie Perry of Baltimore wipes tears from her eyes as she visits the graves of her parents, Staff Sgt. James Perry and his wife, Jessy, after the official Memorial Day ceremonies at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, Va. Aleks Dolzenko / The Potomac News and Messenger

Laura Youngblood comforts her son Hunter, 10, and daughter Emma, 5, at the grave of her husband Travis L. Youngblood at Section 60 in Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 30, 2011. Jose Luis Magana / AP

Marine Lt. Col. Cal Worth Jr. prays over the grave of his friend Jacob H. Turbett on Memorial Day in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 30, 2011. President Barack Obama visited Section 60 Monday. Jose Luis Magana / AP

Mayor Lisa Doring prays over the grave of her husband Nathanael J. Doring in section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, his birthday, Monday, May 30, 2011. Jose Luis Magana / AP

People applaud as President Barack Obama pays tribute to Adm. Mike Mullen, outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the Memorial Day ceremony in the amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery Monday, May 30, 2011. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Andrea Richard of North Carolina touches the name of her brother William A Buck, Jr. at the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Motorcyclists are in Washington for the traditional annual Rolling Thunder events during the Memorial Day weekend. Jose Luis Magana / AP

Pearl Harbor survivor Maynard Hoffman,93, of Bremerton salutes during the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" at Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton, Wash., during a Memorial Day service, Monday, May 30, 2011. He was a major in the Marine Corps from 1935-78. Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun

Visiting from Beaverton, Dien Nguyen and Tuyet Vu and help Vong Vu enter the cemetery. Flags and flowers mark the rows of graves on a peaceful Memorial Day at Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel, Ore., on Monday, May 30, 2011. Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal

Alen W. Lemons of the Marine Corps League reflects after the annual Memorial Day ceremony at City View Cemetery in Salem, Ore., on Monday, May 30, 2011. Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal

Two months after returning from a tour in Afghanistan, Spc. Jorge Torres reflects on a rubbing he made of the name of a fallen comrade at the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial on the grounds of the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs in Salem, Ore., on Monday, May 30, 2011. Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal

Victoria Tsikayi, 6,of Brush Praire, listens to the presentations at the Vancouver Memorial Day Ceremony at the Fort Vancouver Veterans Memorial in Vancouver, Wash., Monday, May 30, 2011. Brent Wojahn / The Oregonian

Visitors view the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Olympia, Wash. Monday, May 30, 2011. Steve Bloom / The Olympian

Lorrie Gunyah, left, and her aunt Tillie Hoff, look at the the crypt for Hoff's late husband Don Hoff Sr., a WWII Vet, Monday, May 30, 2011 at the Bayview Cemetery and Mausoleum in Ketchikan, Alaska during the Memorial Day Holiday remembrance's of America's veterans. Hall Anderson / Ketchikan Daily News

Vietnam War veteran Roger Wise, 69, salutes the American flag during a Memorial Day ceremony, Monday, May 30, 2011, in Roswell, Ga. Rich Addicks / ASSOCIATED PRESS

14-month-old Charlotte Long sits in the lap of her father, Jacob Long, of the Georgia Army National Guard, during a Memorial Day ceremony, Monday, May 30, 2011, in Roswell, Ga. Rich Addicks / AP

Patrick Hool walks through the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery during Memorial Day observances on Monday, May 30, 2011, in Evansville, Wyo. Dan Cepeda / Casper Star-Tribune

Vietnam War veteran Michael Gaughan is seen before a Memorial Day parade Monday, May 30, 2011, in the Bridesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia. Matt Rourke / AP

Molly Fasnacht,7, from Schoeneck, Pa. attends a Memorial Day service on Monday, May 30, 2011. Richard Hertzler / Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

Liz Mueller and husband Bill Mueller of Bridgeville, Pa., visit the grave of her father, John P. Lesica in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, Pa., Sunday, May 29, 2011. Gene J. Puskar / AP

Tiffany Sanders of Bethel Park sits next to the grave of her grandfather Charles W. Ligo, an Army veteran who served in Korea, in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, Pa., Sunday, May 29, 2011. Gene J. Puskar / AP

Dianne Falkel, mother of Staff Sgt. Chris Falkel, kisses a photograph of her son as she places a memorial poppy next to the photograph during the 12th Annual Veteran's Memorial Day Tribute on Saturday, May 28, 2011 in Denver. Leah Millis / The Denver Post

Linda Brinkerhoff decorates her husband Neil's grave during Memorial Day ceremonies at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nev., Monday, May 30, 2011. JERRY HENKEL / Las Vegas Review-journal

Mary Reider of Peoria Heights, Ill., wipes a tear from her face as she attends Memorial Day services in Peoria, Ill., for Navy veterans on Monday, May 30, 2011. Ron Johnson / Peoria Journal Star

Charlotte Danciu of Boca Raton, Florida, rests her head on the headstone of her father during the fourth Annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the South Florida National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth, Florida, Monday, May 30, 2011. Carline Jean / Sun Sentinel

Members of the color guard keep a tight hold of a large American flag int he outfield during the singing of the National Anthem on Memorial Day before the baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, Monday, May 30, 2011. John Sleezer / Kansas City Star

A soldier is dressed in a period uniform attends a Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Jackson to honor the service men and women of the U.S. armed forces, in Columbia, S.C., Monday, May 30, 2011. Tim Dominick / The State

U.S. vetaran Richard Haulet, of Washington state, salutes as he walks along tombstones during Memorial Day ceremonies at the Manila American Cemtery and Memorial in suburban Taguig, south of Manila, Philippines on Sunday May 29, 2011. The cemetery site contains the largest number of U.S. military dead from World War II. AARON FAVILA / AP

U.S. soldiers place lit candles as they gather to mark Memorial Day at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Some U.S. troops in Afghanistan have held a candlelit remembrance for those lost ahead of Memorial Day. Musadeq Sadeq / AP