ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – This Veterans Day, hundreds took part in honoring and recognizing those who have and also continue to serve our country.

“I’m the son and grandson of military veterans, also my father-in-law’s military veteran, my two grandfathers military veterans and my wife’s military veteran,” said Commander of the Kirtland Air Force Base, Col. Michael Power. 

For Power, this Veterans Day was about coming together with the community to honor those who serve our country.

“The Albuquerque community is very patriotic. Many people have served in our community, and so it’s extra special when we can get together at events like this to really talk about our veterans, to honor them, and to really just take the time to recognize them and support them,” said Power.

That’s what happened at the city’s Veterans Day parade. Dozens gathered as veterans and ROTC groups marched from USS Bullhead Park to the New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial Park. 

One of the highlights for Power was seeing the younger generation getting involved. 

“I think coming to events like this, we can hopefully set for them a good example and hopefully some of them will also serve as they grow up. But either way, it’s really just setting that example of, how do we treat our veterans, how do we recognize them and providing that support,” Power said. 

For Blue Star Mothers, today is about continuing their service in supporting our troops.

“It’s an opportunity for us to recognize those sacrifices that so many that our veterans have made, because it’s very important for us to let them know that they are appreciated, they are remembered and their sacrifices,” aid Lisa Childress, a Blue Star Mothers financial secretary. 

For veterans, it’s about honoring those that are protecting our country right now.

“Well, the thing that Veterans Day means to me on the grand scale, it’s not so much as to my service, but more so to those that are serving now, and to the families that those are serving now,” said Omar Djojo Di Ningrat, a Vietnam veteran. 

At The Woodmark at Uptown, there was a special Veterans Day celebration to honor their residents who also served.

“Everything that we have here today, everything that we have in America, is due to our veterans. If they hadn’t served, if they hadn’t signed that paper, if they hadn’t done the things that they did to get us to where we are today, in our country, then you know that’s all about freedom, all about being able to be who you are and live the life you want,” said Amberly Viner, a women veteran program manager with the Department of Veterans Services. 

The veteran residents there include two female veterans – a rarity for that era.

The hope with these events is for one thing:

“Just thank a veteran. Thank a veteran, acknowledge them, show them that support. A lot of them didn’t get that thank you when they came home,” said Viner.