WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Dozens of veterans were honored for their service at Benton House of Woodstock on Veterans Day, Wednesday afternoon.
During the outdoor ceremony, certificates and pins were presented to military members who were a part of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and National Guard.
They gathered for a brief, socially distant, outdoor patriotic ceremony with songs of each branch of service.
The tradition is a lot different this year, but each Fall, Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care honors those who have served the nation.
Army Veteran Bill Saling, who was the keynote speaker at Crossroads’ Veterans Recognition Ceremony, gave a short speech and lead the Soldiers Creed.
"Today, we are gathered together to acknowledge and thank our Veterans, past and present. Let me be clear, a Veteran is anyone who has served in the armed forces of the United States and received an honorable discharge for his or her service. Someone who served as a clerk during peacetime is just as much a Veteran as someone who served overseas in combat,” Saling said in a statement.
Now retired, Saling has made it a life’s mission to connect with senior Veterans. He served in Vietnam in 1966 and currently volunteers for Crossroads connecting with end-of-life patients who once served.
“He is motivated to personally spread joy to Veterans who, when prompted, often remember their service so fondly. He also takes it upon himself to educate the general public about military service and the sacrifice families make when their loved ones serve,” Laura Hagler told 11Alive in a statement.