SLIDELL, La. — On Veterans Day we thank our veterans who are still with us while continuing to honor those we have lost. Many families stop by the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell year to pay tribute.
"My best friend, the love of my life," Karen Calagna said about her late husband.
There's no where else she would want to spend this Veterans Day than at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery where he was laid to rest.
"I know he's smiling down on me," she said. "To honor him and tell him thank you for his service, his sacrifice."
This day is especially tough.
"Miss him dearly. He passed away two months ago," Calagna said.
It's her first Veterans Day without him.
"We're still here. I'm going to always be here," she said.
Peter Calagna, her late husband, served 10 years in the U.S. Navy in the 90s.
"He was kind of quiet about all of it because he had post traumatic stress really bad," she said.
He got out on disability and didn't talk about his time in service much, but made sure his family understood the sacrifice so many make.
"He told me if he had the chance and didn’t have to get out he would have stayed in. He would have stayed in and kept on going," Calagna said.
Calagna tested positive for COVID-19 several months ago. He fought, but developed pneumonia and died Sept. 3 at 55 years old.
"The pneumonia took over, he lasted nine days and passed," Calagna said.
"It's tough, it's tough because we should be celebrating at home and not here," said Jennifer Jenkins, Calagna's daughter. "I'm just so proud and want to make sure he knows I'm still here."
"He was my hero. He's a hero of all heroes," said April Sturm, another one of Calagna's daughters.
On this day, a day that was so important to him, his family is thanking and honoring him as their hero.
"He took it serious, he did," Jenkins said.