WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Green Knights held a Memorial Day ceremony with the Wichita Falls High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) at the Wichita County Cemetery.

Chapter 54 of the Green Knight Military Motorcycle Club was formed in 2009 in Wichita Falls at Sheppard Air Force Base. Since 2011, they’ve been going to the Wichita County Cemetery to clean and place flags as a marker to pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the country.

Secretary of the Green Knights Chapter 54 Cory Keith said he is honored to be a part of the ceremony because he is a motorcyclist who loves to provide mentorship to new riders and participate in community outreach that partners the military with the community.

“I’ve been on deployments where we’ve lost people, and it just means the world to me to be able to come out and in some way be able to give back in other ways,” Keith said. “Aside from being able to put jets in the air or do what we do on a day-to-day basis, but take a pause on a family day and recognize those who have given up their time.”

Following the ceremony, other members of the Green Knights echoed the same sentiment and expressed gratefulness to have a paupers’ cemetery that allows for recognition of all who have fallen and given the ultimate sacrifice.

“This is not a national cemetery – this is a pauper cemetery, a county cemetery for indigent individuals,” Richard Chamberlain with the Green Knights Chapter 54 said. “So, these military veterans you see buried out here have not necessarily died in combat. However, the aftermath of war, the PTSD, suicide, homeless, or circumstances that we don’t know. And there are 87 in this field that we know of, but through the help of the county and the help of the citizens of Wichita Falls, we are able to pay our respects.”

Joel Jimenez, Commander of the Chapter 41 Disabled American Veterans in Wichita Falls, said he’s grateful to be able to commemorate the day.

“In our time, the Vietnam-era time, these times of Memorial Day ceremonies were not happening back then, so being able to have a Memorial Day ceremony such as the one today, makes me really gratified in my heart that people still care and thanking the ones that are still serving today, but also still care about our fallen heroes,” Jimenez said.