Group commemorates Flag Day

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Sunday was Flag Day. It's a day that's often overlooked, but a group of military families in Albuquerque said they want to change that.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in northeast Albuquerque held a special mass to honor and remember those who lost their lives fighting for the U.S.

For those at the service, Flag Day cannot be ignored.

"Until I was a Blue Star Mother it was just one of those holidays that flew under the radar, you didn't really do anything," Joan Thomson said.

Thomson's son is in the military, making her a Blue Star Mother.

Several Blue Star Mothers attended the service Sunday.

Thomson said Flag Day has changed since her son has joined the armed forces.

"Now we've all got someone out there so we stick together," Thomson said.

There were also Gold Star Mothers in the crowd on Sunday.

"We're honoring the Gold Star Mothers, women who lost a son or daughter in combat," Father Kurt Burnette said. "They made the ultimate sacrifice so we could have freedom in our country."

Flag Day has been commemorated each year since 1916.