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Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Raiden Prokop, six-years-old, smiles for the camera at the back of the TAPS float before the start of the Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. Prokop was there with his older brother Vaughn. Their father, Jason, was a police officer in San Diego in 2011 when - off-duty - he went to aid a driver involved in a collision. Jason, who was in the Army Reserves, was struck by another vehicle and died.

Raiden Prokop, six-years-old, smiles for the camera at the back of the TAPS float before the start of the Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. Prokop was there with his older brother Vaughn. Their father, Jason, was a police officer in San Diego in 2011 when - off-duty - he went to aid a driver involved in a collision. Jason, who was in the Army Reserves, was struck by another vehicle and died. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr., who shot down German planes as a fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII, climbs into a car at the start of the Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr., who shot down German planes as a fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII, climbs into a car at the start of the Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Rex Maddox, a WWII veteran, waits for the start of the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. He was in one of several cars that carried WWII veterans through the parade.

Rex Maddox, a WWII veteran, waits for the start of the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. He was in one of several cars that carried WWII veterans through the parade. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Navy Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Navy Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Navy Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Vistors at the Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Vistors at the Korean War Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Visitors at the Lincoln Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

Visitors at the Lincoln Memorial on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

A lone servicemember stands near the Vietnam Wall at the start of the Memorial Day ceremony on May 29, 2017.

A lone servicemember stands near the Vietnam Wall at the start of the Memorial Day ceremony on May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

Memorial Day, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017.

Memorial Day, Washington, D.C., May 29, 2017. (Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — From the Potomac to Capitol Hill, the National Mall was packed with tourists and visitors for the Memorial Day weekend, and many of them paused to reflect and pay respects to fallen servicemembers.

People waved small American flags as they lined Constitution Ave. for the annual National Memorial Day Parade, featuring high school bands, World War II veterans and more.

At the Korean War Memorial, crowds filled the walkways to view the famous statues of soldiers and the reflecting wall. Numerous wreaths were already on display by 11 a.m., their mixture of American and South Korean flags a reminder of the friendship between the countries.

The Vietnam Wall was closed for part of the morning and early afternoon for a Memorial Day ceremony that included historian Ken Burns as co-keynote speaker. In addition, several Gold Star Mothers were also in attendance. The names of three servicemembers (Kenneth McGuire, John Whitson and Edward Wilmers) joined 58,315 others on the wall this year.

Earlier in the morning, the annual Memorial Day ceremony took place at the World War II Memorial.

tibbetts.meredith@stripes.com Twitter: @mjtibbs

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