BOSTON — Local leaders capped off Memorial Day weekend with a service at the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Plaza — the first monument honoring Puerto Rican veterans in the country — to honor a often-overlooked group who’ve sacrificed many throughout the history of the U.S.

“Today’s a very special salute to all our military families, and may God bless always our heroes who gave their lives to preserve our freedom and who served our nation,” said Antonio Molina, president of the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Square Association. “May God continue to support our freedom, because freedom definitely is not free.”

At the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument in the South End, the mayor and national, state and local representatives gathered with the military community as the morning rain turned to a mild spring afternoon.

Leaders spoke to all those who’d lost their lives in military service Monday, but particularly the Puerto Rican veterans.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton noted that since the first Puerto Rican regiment was established in 1899 and since becoming US citizens in 1917 “more than 200,000 Puerto Ricans have worn the uniform of the United States military.”

Mayor Michelle Wu said the group has “part of every conflict in this country and who have stepped up to serve at twice the rate of the population as a whole.” Molina added that Puerto Rico has lost more people per capita in military conflicts than any state in the nation since the Revolutionary War.

“I always think about their incredible service to our nation, giving back, sacrificing, putting themselves in harm’s way, and then I think of their families too, not treated with the same level of respect and dignity across America,” said City Councilor Ed Flynn.

Several elected officials, including Flynn, Moulton, and state Sen. Nick Collins, spoke to their own experience with military service.

“Tragically, while some of those Marines came home to build lives and raise families, others did not,” Moulton said of those he served with. “And today, on Memorial Day, we’re here for them. We’re here to remember the names, the faces, and the unfulfilled futures of the generations of Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice, so that others wouldn’t have to.”

Speakers urged residents to honor Memorial Day by remembering those who’ve lost their lives and committing to acts of service in their memory.

“There is no greater tribute we can offer our fallen Puerto Rican brothers and sisters than to ensure this nation remains a place where every person can live with freedom, dignity, and peace, and we always remember their sacrifice,” said state Rep. John Moran. “May we honor their memory through our actions.”

The mayor heralded Boston’s commitment to the legacy of those who served, saying the names of military members who’ve died are across Boston’s heroes squares and “etched in our hearts.”

The community also took a moment of silence for the firefighter and former Marine Robert “Bobby” Kilduff, who died while going in to rescue people from a house fire in Dorchester late Saturday night, and spoke of his legacy.

“I want to ask everyone to say a prayer for the Kilduff family, for our firefighters, and for our city, because many of those who serve lay everything on the line for our country, and then when they come home, they continue to put their lives on the line,” said Wu. “For all the veterans who are still serving our city, particularly to our first responders, who risk everything 24 hours a day to be there to run towards the danger.”

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