Springfield Veterans Day service rained out, so couple create their own

Taps plays from a cell phone in Kiana Sanders’ pocket as she and Al Hernandez stand quietly in rain at the War Wall at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers from America’s wars. The couple went to the cemetery for the Veterans Day service but found it was canceled because of the weather, so they decided to have a small service of their own. “The veterans and fallen soldiers went through a lot more than a little rain,” Hernandez said. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Taps plays from a cell phone in Kiana Sanders’ pocket as she and Al Hernandez stand quietly in rain at the War Wall at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers from America’s wars. The couple went to the cemetery for the Veterans Day service but found it was canceled because of the weather, so they decided to have a small service of their own. “The veterans and fallen soldiers went through a lot more than a little rain,” Hernandez said. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Kiana Sanders and Al Hernandez went to Springfield’s Ferncliff Cemetery on Friday for the annual Veterans Day program.

When they found out downpours had scrapped the event, they improvised and made their own small service.

The two stood quietly in the rain at the War Wall in Ferncliff, and Taps played from Sanders’ cell phone as they paid their respects to soldiers who have served their country.

“The veterans and fallen soldiers went through a lot more than a little rain,” Hernandez said.

Workers at Ferncliff let others who arrived around that time know the service had been canceled because of the inclement weather.