Family and service members gathered on Friday in Mission to celebrate the life of Navy Sailor Angelina Resendiz.

She died earlier this year in Virginia, and a fellow sailor has been charged in her death.

"It's like a completion of her service, and honoring her, and all she's done, and it being significant because it was significant to her service," Resendiz's mom, Esmeralda Castle, said.

Family, friends, service members and veterans all gathered at the State Veterans Cemetery in Mission to honor the life of Resendiz. Friday would've been her 22nd birthday.

"I think about, like, what are we going to do for her birthday because it gets hard, so you know what, let's put her ashes at the cemetery and get her a headstone," Castle said.

Through hugs, tears, and laughs, friends and family are remembering Resendiz for who she was.

Among them, Roberto Sanchez, a close friend of the Resendiz family and someone who helped guide her through her Navy recruiting process.

"When she made the choice about trying to go into the military, her mother asked me to talk on behalf of the armed services. So I gave her my perspective on how I enjoyed the service," Sanchez said.

Resendiz was stationed at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Her body was found off base, two weeks after she was reported missing.

Another Navy Sailor is now facing charges in connecting with her death.

Castle says the pain of losing her daughter will never go away, but she's using her loss to make a difference.

"Closure happens when whatever happened to her and many others, don't happen anymore," Castle said.

Castle says she'll continue speaking out until she finds justice for her daughter and other service members who have suffered the same silence.

Watch the video above for the full story.