The Fishers Memorial Day service has grown into one of the largest in the area, drawing a large crowd to the Nickel Plate Amphitheater Monday morning in perfect weather to honor those who died in service to the nation’s Armed Forces.

Mayor Scott Fadness told the gathering he had watched the massive pre-race ceremonies at the Indianapolis 500 a day earlier and wondered how a community like Fishers could ever match that scale. Some things, he said, matters more than spectacle.

Having local people honor local families, Fadness explained, is the best way to pay homage to military service — and to those who have lost loved ones in armed conflict.

The keynote address came from Alex Kor, the son of two Holocaust survivors. Both of his parents have died in the past six years. Kor spoke of how American GIs rescued his father Mickey from a Nazi concentration camp and later helped him become an American citizen. Mickey went on to serve in uniform during the Korean War.

El Ahlwardt, co-chair of the Fishers Armed Services Commission, handled his master-of-ceremonies duties with his usual aplomb, keeping the one-hour program moving briskly. The service closed with the playing of “Taps” and a flyover by Indy Biplanes.

The ceremony is one of many events the City of Fishers sponsors throughout the year to honor military veterans — and, on Memorial Day, those who made the ultimate sacrifice for America.

Additional photos of the Fishers Memorial Day ceremony appear below.