SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A crowd from all walks of life gathered at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Sangamon County as officials laid a wreath for members of the military who lost their lives.

More than 20,000 veterans from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and their family members are buried at Camp Butler.

The special guests at the ceremony were U.S. Representatives Mary Miller and Nikki Budzinski. They paid tribute to the more than 60,000 Illinoisans who have died defending the nation since the civil war.

“May we never forget that freedom is never free,” Miller said. “And may we live our lives in a way that honors the sacrifice that has been given.”

Budzinski spoke about how the day is special to her, as she’s the granddaughter of two World War II veterans.

“I come from a family of those that have served and with that comes a great appreciation and a debt of gratitude to the veterans that have served,” she said. “And their service has come to protect our freedoms and our liberties that we enjoy each and every day in the country.”

Cemetery director Jimmy Allen said the focus of the day should be to remember more than the names.

“It’s so much more than a cemetery with headstones,” the director said. “It’s a tapestry of time within our nation and all our different turning points and conflicts.”

He challenged attendees to reflect on their connections to fallen veterans.

“Because remembrance is not passive, it is something we choose,” Allen said at the ceremony. “And in choosing to remember, we carry these stories forward.”

Camp Butler officials encourage everyone to learn more about veterans buried in national cemeteries using the Veterans Legacy Memorial.