Among the servicemen and women participating in Monday’s Veterans Day celebration at the Hays VFW Post 9076, at least nine wars or conflicts were represented:  Vietnam, WW II, Korea, Desert Storm, Iraq, Granada, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Joint Endeavor.

Featured speaker Gordon Gorton, a Vietnam War veteran and former Russell resident now living in Salina, talked about how much it means veterans who are remembered and thanked for their service.

Guest speaker Sen. Allen Schmidt, D-Hays, who just lost his bid for election to the 40th senate district, is a retired Army Colonel after 32 years in the Medical Service Corps.  He offered what he called a a “message of hope.”

There are hundreds of thousands of returning veterans, Schmidt said,  “tried in ways only other veterans understand.  We need to invite them into our organizations.  We need them to step up into leadership positions in our government–local, state and federal. ”

See ceremony highlights tonight on Eagle Local News, ECTV Channel 14.