 It's Veterans Day and all across America people are coming together to show their appreciation for the service of our veterans but here in Johnson County they go above and beyond to show just how much that service means to this community. Well I don't think when I got elected and I've been lucky enough to be elected five times and but when I was elected nobody in Johnson County we didn't have a veterans ceremony and I came from a military family strong sense of patriotism and I just felt like it was something we should do and we've been doing it every year now and try to continue to do so. Retired Major General Stephen Collins guest speaker at today's event says that Veterans Day is unique among American holidays. Holidays are holidays and Veterans Day is Veterans Day. There's a visceral of attachment to Veterans Day that most holidays do not have and to have a community like Paintsville and like many other communities in Kentucky and around the nation recognize these veterans is what makes right look like in the America. One of the topics of discussion that always comes up around Veterans Day is how we can improve the lives of our veterans returning from service or from wars in foreign lands. It's be normal with with the veteran. They've been through some things that that aren't abnormal that affect them possibly affect them. Some people have been into traumatic situations where they have the post traumatic stress disorder. Normalcy is is the cure. Being integrated into society in the community your church as a normal person helps resolve their their difference. After today's memorial ceremony veterans were offered a free lunch at Paintsville Elementary School. We invite any veteran in our local area to come in and have lunch here at Paintsville Elementary School. We've done this for multiple years. I'm really not sure how far back it goes. I've been in the district for 17 years and it was already a longstanding tradition when I came. It's just one day a year to say thank you for the men and women who have given their service in defense of this country. Reporting from Paintsville for EKB news. I'm Jackson Ladder.