The annual Gold Star Family ceremony was held in Rockland County Friday morning to honor fallen soldiers.

The names of eight fallen soldiers were read at the Gulf War/War on Terror Monument in Haverstraw Bay County Park.

The ceremony also included a wreath laying and a presentation in honor of the soldiers’ families.

“It helps us because we know that our children are never forgotten,” says Vivian Allen, the president of the Hudson Valley American Gold Star Families. “People remember and they honor us, and makes us feel good that nobody is forgetting what we went through. Being a Gold Star Family hurts. It’s been 16 years for me, but sometimes it feels like yesterday."

Gold Star families say these ceremonies are important to help ensure the memories live on.