RATHDRUM — Many stood tall with hands to foreheads in salutes as the colors were posted by the American Legion Honor Guard, Rathdrum Police and Northern Lakes Fire Department.

The room hushed on Saturday afternoon as American Legion Post 154 and District 1 Commander Dee Sasse opened the Veterans Recognition Day program with touching appreciation for America's veterans as she led into the explanation of the symbolic items accompanying the small table on the stage next to her: An inverted glass that will never be drank from, an empty chair that will not be filled, a black napkin representing the void felt when a loved one is imprisoned during war or missing in action.

The POW/MIA table ceremony was one solemn piece of the fourth annual Veterans Recognition Day event, which welcomed more than 200 people to Lakeland High School to celebrate North Idaho's heroes and remember those who gave everything fighting for their country.

"The biggest thing is to support all of our veterans that are in our local community, but also to remind the community of their veterans," Sasse said.

Presented by Post 154, the city of Rathdrum and the Northwest Guardian Riders, the program featured a proclamation by Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes, a special honoring of two of Kootenai County's oldest veterans — 96-year-old Miles Anderson and 98-year-old Elmer Currie — as well as a special honoring the youngest, 17-year-old Dylan James Bourgard.

This year, the program gave a special salute to veterans of the Vietnam War, many of whom still ache with the pain of battle, the grief of loss and the memories of returning home to a country that did not thank them for risking their lives on the battlefield.

"We're here to thank all of our Vietnam veterans for their service, and of course all of our veterans, but this year we're honoring the Vietnam veterans and saying, 'Thank you very much for serving' and 'Welcome home,'" Sasse said. "A lot of them didn't get that welcome."

Decorated Vietnam vet and Post 154 member Len Crosby enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1964 and served two tours in Vietnam, one with the 4th Infantry Division and one with the 101st Airborne Division.

"The Vietnam era was a time of war and a time of conflict throughout our nation. During the 16 years and 9 months of that war, more than 9 million men and women served in our military, and more than 3 million of those served in Vietnam," he said.

Of that total, nearly 60,000 American military members were killed in action, more than 153,000 were wounded and more than 1,600 are still missing in action.

Crosby said he often thinks of those he served with in Vietnam, "heroes that I slogged through the jungle with, fought with side by side, was wounded with and sometimes saw killed by enemy action."

"They always considered themselves just ordinary people," he said. "They were far from ordinary. They were brave, humble, patriotic and selfless. They never asked for or expected anything in return for their service other than respect and dignity given to most other warriors. Tragically, what they received when they returned was a confused and angry nation.

"To the veterans here today and those we have lost and their families, you are all heroes."