COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It was an emotional day at Fort Carson Thursday as 22 soldiers killed in action were honored. Their names were etched in stone at the memorial wall outside the Mountain Post gates.

"These brave servicemenmbers are heroes in every sense of the word," BG James Doty Jr. with the U.S. Army said. "Their sacrifices have helped the cause of freedom."

For the family members and friends of those honored the memorial is an uplifting event.  Susana Benitez lost her husband, SSG Carlos Benitez, in October of 2010.  She was at Thursday's memorial with her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and son placing a white rose near her husband's name, honoring him as a soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

"Having a ceremony like this gives you a sense they still care that the soldier is still remembered and not forgotten," Susana Benitez said.

There are 5,500 Fort Carson soldiers deployed overseas.  While you always hope for the best, it takes a special kind of person to become a soldier, especially when there's no guarantee they'll return.

"It's not an easy life, it's filled with trials and hardships which make those who gather to honor so remarkable," Doty Jr. said.