JANESVILLE — Veterans of every branch of military service and local civilians gathered at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Traxler Park on Monday in recognition of Veterans Day.
A ceremony began with the traditional posting of the colors, an invocation, the national anthem, and “Pledge of Allegiance.”
Honoring veterans with this ceremony has been going on for decades and has evolved over time, according to Thomas Stehura, a Vietnam veteran and the president of the Janesville Patriotic Society.
“This started in the early 80s and we’ve been doing it ever since. The ideas have evolved over time, but we have a pretty good ceremony now,” Stehura said.
A veteran from each branch of the military wore their old service uniforms and carried their branch of service flag during the “Salute to Our Veterans,” in which each marched their flag to the center for a salute.
The Purple Heart flag was carried out by Al Pacheco, a Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star with valor recipient. The Purple Heart flag reflects the award given to U.S. military members who have died or been injured in battle.