Riverside National Cemetery Hosts Concert For Heroes To Mark America's 241st Birthday

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — It was July 3, but patriotism was in full force in Riverside Monday as thousands of people came out for the Riverside County Philharmonic's annual Concert for Heroes.

"For me, it means just being together as family and celebrating our victory as United States of America and just being all together and doing that together," Alyssa Moyer of Mission Viejo said.

The event is held at the Riverside National Cemetery, and many said seeing the resting places of so many military men and women makes them even more proud to be American.

"Being a military veteran, I spent 30 years in the military. I like to be involved whenever they're honoring the fallen, people who gave their all for our freedoms, and that's what this is all about," Michael Underwood of Riverside said.

"This is where the people who fought and died for us, for our freedom as a country. This is where they're buried. Her grandpa fought in Vietnam. So it means a lot personally and as a family to come and experience this here especially," Shayne Zamora of Corona said.

And at a time when our country seems divided, organizers said it was nice to look around and see everyone united in their love for the red, white and blue.

"The nice thing about a national cemetery is that you cannot deny the oneness of the country here, impossible. You cannot deny what has been paid for everything that we have," said Mike Goldware of Riverside.

After the show, concertgoers were treated to a fireworks display. The concert, now in its 17th year, is the only one of its kind performed in a national cemetery in the United States.