WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. —
It was a day of honor and of service and sacrifice for veterans at the Salvation Army in Wayne County.
“It's a brotherhood. Hail fellow well met,” says Kenneth Swan, a U.S. Army Berlin veteran.
It’s a recognition for many veterans that that's long overdue. It’s especially true for Vietnam veterans like Sgt. Don Wilmot.
“I flew 360 combat missions or my country. I thought, gee, when I come home, I'm going to be a hero. When I got home, I had to hide,” said Wilmot.
Wilmot not only flew those missions, he was a helicopter gunner during the Vietnam War. He was shot down three times.
“I know when I die, my guardian angel's going to say, 'Wilmot, you kept us so darn busy keeping you alive,'” Wilmot added.
Stories like Wilmot's were shared between brothers throughout the day on Wednesday. A camaraderie that doesn't go for granted, especially for disabled veterans like Harry Raybould from the Gino Merli Center in Scranton. Raybould served in the Navy.
"It's nice that not only you can get together, but you can still live. Even though you're disabled pretty good, you can still live,” said Raybould.
While the day was all about being together and sharing stories, some of these veterans are really excited to see some good-looking cars.
“Oh, I love the hot rods and stuff like that, I was big into it in the day,” said the navy veteran.
While the grounds were filled with veterans from every branch, these vets say there are still some faces missing.
“I would like to see a lot more veterans from the period we're in today, I don't know why they're not here,” added Wilmot.
George Schaffer, commander of the Waymart American Legion, agrees. He says he’s struggling to get younger veterans in the door.
“Somebody has to help them out and keep it going,” added Schaffer. “These veterans are only getting older.”