WORCESTER, Mass. - On Sunday, the city of Worcester held the first of many Memorial Day celebrations.

They started with the annual water ceremony at Elm Park. The tradition honors the lives of servicemen and women from Worcester who were lost at sea in service to the United States. The commemoration is hosted by city's Veterans' Council and Veterans' Services Division.

Veterans marched over the red bridge which goes over the pond in the park. The ceremony included prayers and reflections while participants placed wreaths and flower bouquets in the water. 

One Vietnam veteran we spoke with lost his brother at sea off the coast of North Vietnam on May 5, 1968. 

"I'm a former Marine and I've been coming here for over 20 years," said Harry Kustigian. "It's a very touching ceremony. It's very emotional, especially for the people who have lost somebody. I see a lot of people, I come to the same every year. It's a respect to the people that, their bodies were never recovered."

The ceremony also featured an honor guard salute along with the bagpipes played by Worcester police officer Sean Lovely.