CHALMETTE (WGNO)— They made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom, and today we pay our respects to those fallen soldiers.
There was a spirit of respect, patriotism, and honor at the Chalmette National Cemetery today on Memorial Day, where every year they make it a point to honor those fallen soldiers.
At Chalmette National Cemetery thousands of American flags are placed in front of the graves of those war heroes who died for our freedom, and visitors are reflecting on the lives lost.
“They put their lives on the line for me, so I can walk freely,” Erika Wolfe said.
Though Erika Wolfe isn’t just walking freely because of the soldier’s sacrifices. Today on Memorial Day she’s running, doing push-ups, and squats to honor a specific soldier, Lt. Michael Murphy who was killed in the line of duty back in 2005.
Both Erika and her friend Sara Mendoza participated in the “Murph Workout” with their gym “Girls Gone Buff.”
“Every year we do something called the Murph workout to honor fallen soldiers. We run a mile, do 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats and then we run another mile,” Wolfe said.
She went on to say, “People sacrificed their lives so this is the least we can do to work to honor them. The sacrifice that someone put their life on the line for me is not something that I can conceptualize.”
While doing her Memorial Day workout, Erika says she’s reminded of what today truly means.
“It isn’t about BBQ, isn’t about potato salad and chicken, it is about where our country has been and where we are going. While our country has a whole lot of work to do, we aren’t done fighting,” Wolfe said.