Dodgers Honor Families Of 3 Fallen Veterans Before Monday's Game

LOS ANGELES  (CBSLA)   The Dodgers on Monday remembered the sacrifices three soldiers made -- the ultimate sacrifice -- and honored their families.

KCAL9's Crystal Cruz was there to capture the emotional event and watch it unfold.

"I can still see the soldier knocking on the door. I can see the eulogy. It's so vivid. It's something you don't forget. You're not supposed to bury your 22-year-old child. But it's our reality now," said Tony Diraimondo, father of one of the fallen soldiers.

Memories like those never go away, even 14 years after the Diraimondo's son Sgt Michael A Diraimondo, was killed in Iraq.

"He left us a letter that said this is what I wanted to do and please don't be upset because I want you to know that we want life to  go on with both my husband and I and his older sisters. And he said please don't think about it that way because that's what I really wanted to do in life is to be a paramedic firefighter," his mother said.

The Dodgers also invited Calah Granger and her three boys to the stadium.

Calah's husband Sgt First Class Jason Granger, served 11 years, deployed seven times and was killed on the job stateside in 2013.

"He was a diehard Dodgers fan. So being out there and everything they have done for us was amazing," Granger said.

Roland Garcia was just 6 when his 19-year-old older brother -- U.S. Army Spc. Ronnie Joseph Pallares == was killed in Afghanistan.

"I remember when he did push ups I used to sit on his back," said Garcia.

Pallares left a poem that read, "This is what I wanted to do to make sure you all are free. I have no regrets, no matter what happens from now till then and while I'm here, I will always volunteer to be the one they send."

Celebrating these heroes on Memorial Day, just as American as a little Dodgers Baseball and apple pie.