HOMETOWN, Pa. — With a salute fired and the red, white, blue -- and blankets -- out for this chilly Veterans Day ceremony, 15 residents and a staffer were among the veterans honored at Hometown Nursing and Rehabilitation Center near Tamaqua.
"People don't realize how important veterans really are because they gave us the freedom that we have and sacrificed so much," said Liz Hessinger, a hospice liaison with Compassionate Care Hospice.
Compassionate Care Hospice approached the nursing home about hosting the ceremony.
"This is a way maybe they like to talk about their time of service. It's nice to have someone actually relate to what they're speaking about," Compassionate Care hospice liaison Ryan Lohman said.
John Porambo, 68, shared musical talents he learned while in the Army.
"During Vietnam, we came under attack one time. Bullets were flying in, and I got hit by one," he recalled.
He says he survived a gunshot wound to the back of his head. "It was like a ricochet."
Hometown employee Donna Randall specialized in hazardous materials while serving with the Coast Guard in the 1980s.
"Believe it or not, it comes in handy. I had a neighbor whose home broke out into a fire, and no one knew what to do. I hurried up and gathered up the neighbors' fire extinguishers and put the fire out before the fire department could get there," Randall said.
Members of the VFW tell us in this day and age, more veterans are sharing their stories.
"Back in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, it seemed like the veterans weren't recognized for their service," said Dennis Ockenhouse.
But he says much changed after 9/11.
"Everyone got patriotic; everyone had a flag."
And while they say veterans still require more attention, the vets say this day is more recognized now than in the past.
"Basically, from the homeless situation of the veterans to the mental health situation, it still has a lot more to do," VFW member Tony Perna said.
The vets say this day is recognized more these days than in the past.
Check out WNEP's YouTube page.