TAMPA, Fla. -- Many families in the Bay Area spent Monday visiting loved ones who lost their lives while serving our county.

All of our fallen heroes were honored at the Florida National Cemetery’s Memorial Day ceremony.

Everywhere you look at the Florida National Cemetery, there are symbols of the brave men and women we've lost who proudly served our country.

And if you look closely, you'll find touching tributes from families remembering their loved ones gone too soon.

It's become a tradition for Rachel Tomon to bring her family here each Memorial Day to remember her good friend Cody Grater.
 
"He joined it to change his life and do something good," Tomon said.

"I've known him since I was 2 years old," she added.

Cody died while serving in Iraq in 2007.

"He took a bullet or rocket for somebody else. Cody didn't have kids, and he was not married. The other guy had a baby on the way and had kids and a wife, so he took that hit for him," Tomon explained.
 
But Tomon said Cody's memory will never be forgotten. When she had a son, she named him after the fallen hero.
 
And while her kids never got to meet Cody in person, she said she hopes they'll be inspired by his bravery.

"Well I've got two of them -- they both want to join. So I'm just waiting to see if they still want to join when they get a little bit older," Tomon said.

The Florida National Cemetery serves as the final resting place for over 130,000 military service members and their dependents.