Veterans Day in Washington was observed with a service that brought area veterans out to be honored by the public.

American Legion Auxiliary, Unit No. 15, with support from the Daughters of the American Revolution Major Reading Blount chapter and Veterans of Foreign Wars, held the event at Veterans Park in Washington.

Each branch of the United States military was represented and honored for the service of its veterans: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard.

“We’ve been doing it for a long time, and we just took up the idea of doing it,” said Betsey Lee Hodges, president of Unit No. 15. “We have kept it going to make sure there is always a Veterans Day celebration in Washington. That’s the idea — to make sure the veterans are remembered and that the public takes time to honor and remember the veterans. We just don’t want that to be lost.”

Veterans of seven conflict periods, as chartered by the United States Congress, were remembered and honored, according to Hodges. The conflict periods include: World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon/Granada, Panama and the Gulf War/War on Terrorism. Each period was honored with the presentation of an American flag.

Martin Arthur, a retired Navy veteran and Division 2 vice commander of the American Legion, was the guest speaker. Arthur said, “we are here honoring a special group of Americans today … our veterans, who made sacrifices in the name of peace and freedom.”

Arthur spoke about the history of Veterans Day, saying the holiday was originally mandated as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 as a day to remember the end of World War I. In 1954, the holiday became Veterans Day, a public holiday dedicated to honoring anyone who has served in the U.S. military.

Arthur pointed out there are currently more than 40 million living veterans and more than 65 million family members of veterans. One in every four Americans is a veteran or a member of a veteran’s family. In closing, Arthur said it was a good time to reflect on the burden shared by veterans for future generations to enjoy freedom and how veterans shed their blood on foreign shores to help keep others free.

“May it never be forgotten,” Arthur said. “Thank God, thank the veterans and God bless the United States of America.”

Following the speech, members of the DAR presented veterans of the Vietnam War with American flag lapel pins as part of its effort to honor Vietnam veterans on this year’s 50^th anniversary of the war.

Veterans summoned by branch were greeted with hugs and handshakes by members of the DAR and other community members, a means for residents to personally thank veterans for their service to the country.

“(The service) is important because we would not be where we are today and have the freedoms we have if not for (the veterans),” Hodges said. “Their careers, education and lives were on hold. These guys came back and were not always in the same shape that they were in when they went out. They had to start from scratch to build their lives. We just need to remember it rather than it just be a regular day. That’s where I have trouble — when people won’t pause and say ‘Thank you’ and take into consideration what (veterans) have done for this country. You have to stop and think about what the veterans have gone through.”