Those who served the country had the chance to be served by first responders, local officials, and special guests at a veterans appreciation luncheon at Independence Village of Brighton Friday.

The event, organized by Veterans Honor Project Coordinator Sean Tracy, brought together veterans from various senior facilities including Brighton, White Lake, and Ypsilanti. The group included service members from World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam War. Tracy tells WHMI that one of his goal in organizing the luncheon was to ensure that those who served, especially those who are now advanced in age and have challenging health conditions, are still able to see and feel just how much they are appreciated. He says “Our veterans don’t get a chance to get outside that often, and so I thought it would be pretty interesting to see what would happen if we were to connect veterans from our sister communities with veterans here. And it’s just to give the chance for the veterans to see new faces of veterans.” Tracy added that one of his greatest joys was being able to connect two Michigan servicemen living in different facilities who served in the same unit in World War II.

Lunch was served by members of the Brighton Police Department and the Brighton Area Fire Authority, with special remarks from Pam McGoneghy, president of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce, and “The Great Foodini,” Renee Chodkowski. (MS)