In Downtown Detroit on Monday, people gathered to celebrate Veterans Day at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building.
Military servicemen and women from the past and present gathered for a very special Veterans Day ceremony.
"A major gathering for those branches that need for people to recognize that they’re here, how long they’ve been here, how long they’ve been serving," Sharon Madison, the chairperson of the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority, said.
“Veterans Day to me means, it’s an opportunity for citizens of the country to recognize that veterans performed the great service for the country," John Burke, a U.S. Navy veteran, added.
The festivities highlighted stories of veteran service and sacrifice to the country.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Ramon Rogers says he is thankful for those who served before and after him.
“Those individuals that lost their life for this country should never be forgotten. I appreciate everyone that’s serving right now. And more so and even greater for those individuals that served before me," Rogers said.
There was even an opportunity for veterans to show appreciate and to pass the torch to future military members.
The River Rouge High School JROTC conducted the ceremonial raising of the American Flag.
“They’re a product of River Rouge High School. So, any and everything is possible. As long as they have good instruction, they have someone that’s gonna take care of them and that they learn," GySgt. Jonathan Robinson, the River Rouge JROTC instructor, said. “Most of my cadets are pretty sharp. And, I love them. I’m gonna take care of them. And, I’m gonna continue to train them.”
“I feel like when we do it right and we are all information, we’re all in the same place that they feel real proud of us cause they know at one point, this was them," River Rouge senior Alejandra Salcedo said.
“I wanna join to the Naval Academy. I wanna go there. I want to be an officer in the Marine Corps. It’s a hard decision actually. It’s my last year. And, I’m thinking about my future," another senior, Sofia Rojas, added.
When we talked to various people about what Veterans Day means to them, they said different things. But one of the common threads they all said was that it was about service, sacrifice, duty to others and duty to the country.
