Firefighters, police officers and veterans gathered Friday at the newly remodeled Sparks Memorial Park to honor their own.

“Let us not forget the names etched in our memories,” Lt. Col. Scott Maylath, commander of the National Guard’s 992 troop command, said at the city's ceremony. “This is someone’s mother, father, friend or brother. They made the ultimate sacrifice for us so we can live in a free society.”

The park recently finished a large-scale renovation and was rededicated Friday in conjunction with the city of Sparks’ Memorial Day festivities. The event also unveiled a police tribute statue, dedicated to the men and women in local law enforcement, both past and present.

The park was originally built in 1981 at the request of several county commissioners as well as Bill Farr, a World War II veteran, former Sparks Fire Department Chief and former Washoe County Commissioner.

“The county transferred this land to the city with the caveat that it be used as a museum and a memorial park,” Farr said.

After years of growth, the park was in need of some renovation, Sparks City Councilman John Mayer said. As he spoke at the rededication Friday, Mayer, a former member of the Air Force, shared an experience he had while having his own moment of reflection in the park. Mayer watched as an elderly woman tripped on some paver stones that had been pushed up by growing tree roots.

“That’s when we decided we needed to do something with this,” Mayer said.

The construction bid was awarded to Gradex Construction, which Mayer lauded at the event. The company’s former superintendent, John Flynn, was killed in Afghanistan in September 2005 while was serving in the National Guard.

“These guys were not only doing this out of a contract,” Mayer said. “It was out of love.”

Now, after its rededication, the park is a place where citizens can reflect on the sacrifices of fallen firefighters, the duty of law enforcement officers and the memories of locals who have given their lives in military service.

“Each addition just adds to the park,” Farr said.

Farr left the park after the dedication and headed to Mountain View Cemetery where he was going to place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers. The Sparks High School graduate was one of the first 12 officers in the U.S. Army to receive the Expert Infantry Badge. Farr was one of the famed group who landed on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion. He rose from Staff Sergeant to Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, earning the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and a Presidential Citation.

In tow with the flowers were two flags: one for his brother’s grave and the other for his brother-in-law’s grave.