PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Veterans from different decades, different tours and different branches gathered Wednesday at Weisbrod Aircraft Museum for the first-ever Veterans Day ceremony held at the historic site.
The event brought together service members in a city long known as the "Home of Heroes," a title Pueblo takes seriously.
WATCH: Pueblo's Weisbrod Aircraft Museum hosts first-ever Veterans Day ceremony honoring local service members
Fred Evans Jr. is named after his father, who served in the Army. Evans himself served honorably in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, with tours that took him from Guam to Japan to the United Kingdom.
"I'm really thankful for my service," Evans said. "I wouldn't trade that experience ever. It was a tremendous experience."
Dee Dunlap served in the Army Corps and Air Force Reserves, including a tour in Saigon during the Vietnam War.
"I served in Vietnam as a Vietnamese linguist," Dunlap said. "I'd had 47 weeks of Vietnamese language training, so I was familiar with the culture and the food and the whole history of Vietnam."
For those gathered, the ceremony was about more than celebration, it was about remembrance.
"It's important to recognize the sacrifices that all members of the military have made," Dunlap said.
The museum's historic aircraft provided a fitting backdrop for the occasion.
"That was a great chance to see the historic aircraft," one attendee said.
For veterans near and far, Pueblo remains a place that honors their service.
"We are proud that we are the Home of Heroes," one veteran said. "That's what's great about Pueblo — they appreciate everybody's service."
