American flags adorned tables draped in red, white and blue and the rich smell of ham and broccoli salad wafted through the air. Men and women smiled and walked from table to table, shaking hands and exchanging small talk. Many of the men wore hats or pins, indicating their status as a veteran of one of the many branches of the American Military.

Saturday was Armed Forces Day around the country and people from across Lake County gathered in the Ronan Community Center to celebrate those who have served and get an opportunity to meet many of the Republican Candidates running for elected offices in Lake County.

But the highlight for many was the opportunity to hear Senator Daines speak about his appreciation for service men and women and his connection to the military.

Daines opened up his speech with some information about current affairs in the country and some topics of importance to Montanans. He began with the status of a new Supreme Court Justice and his stance on President Obama’s ability to appoint someone. “Barack Obama will not have an appointment on my watch,” Daines said.

He then talked about EPA regulations and their effect on Montana’s economy and focused specifically on the impact on the Crow Reservation in Eastern Montana. Daines said that with less coal mining, there is $145 million in tax revenue at stake and made mention of unemployment on the reservation increasing from the current 30 percent moving to possibly 85 percent.

But the status of the economy and politics only took up a small portion of his presentation. Daines quickly moved on to thanking service members around the country and emphasized their importance and their stance in Montana communities. “Montana has one of the highest per-capita military service rates in the country,” Daines said.

Daines said that nine of his 20 staff members are veterans from all different branches of service.

He also emphasized that America needs to stand with Israel because “they are our ally in the Middle East.”

Daines ended his presentation by focusing on the importance of passing on the stories of soldiers. “We need to have the stories preserved,” Daines said.

The event was put together by the Lake County Republican Women. They brought local government candidates to the event to give the community an opportunity to ask questions and get to know their local officials.