TAMPA, Fla — Monday marks 20 years since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Iraq War.
In honor of the anniversary, people gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa to honor those who served and died in the war.
One Marine who served in Iraq for about a year said the biggest thing on his mind when everything started was his fellow soldiers whom he served alongside.
He said he'd look around at the people who were there for much less time than him and didn't know if he'd have to tell their parents about why they didn't make it home.
Twenty years later, he said the biggest takeaway the country learned was the lasting impact the war had on the people and the veterans who came home.
