More than a day off. Fort Worth ceremony honors the true meaning of Memorial Day.

The purpose of Memorial Day wasn’t lost to cookouts and days spent swimming for those who gathered at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Monday.

Veterans, elected leaders and the commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth - about 200 people in total - gathered to share stories of American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who died in combat.

“Every single generation of Americans has produced tough minded men and women who have paid the price for this freedom,” Capt. Mark McLean said. “Every generation has sent its sons and daughters toward the enemy.”

McLean, along with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and Iwo Jima veteran Cpl. Don Graves shared stories of those who paid the ultimate price with people who attended the holiday service, which has been held for the past 94 years.

“The first service was during the Great Depression, and we’ve gathered ever since to remember the ultimate sacrifices made by those who love freedom,” O’Hare said.

Parker and McLean told stories of Texans who were killed in action, such as Chief Petty Officer Matt Mills and Cpl. Jesus Antonio Medellin, both from Tarrant County, and asked the crowd to use the day to remember and honor them.

Mills, a Navy Seal whose commendations included two Bronze Star Medals with Valor , died Aug. 6, 2011, in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. He graduated from Martin High School in Arlington.

Medellin, a Marine known to his friends and family as “Marty,” was killed April 7, 2003, in Operation Iraqi Freedom when the amphibious assault vehicle he was in came under fire.

“Without their commitment and service, our nation would not be what it is today,” McLean said.

The service started with the national anthem and an F-18 flyover and ended with a 21-gun salute and taps.