Early Veterans Day program comes to Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Veterans day is all about honoring those who serve our country.

And while it’s still a week away, some vets are getting an early start on observances.

For many veterans coming home from war was a day for celebration. But for many others, their celebration didn’t start until years later.

Veterans across Lowndes County came together for an early veterans day observance Friday.

“Well, this is kind of a meeting of minds we’re vets come together, city officials who are military too. They were vets, and we are looking to grow this thing make it bigger, and the word is out that our vet some of us some of them need help right now,” said Kenny Price.

The event is a place for old friends to reconnect

But it also serves as a delayed Homecoming celebration.

“Well you know a lot of the veterans like he talked about from the Vietnam era weren’t really welcomed home we didn’t have parades and everything we’ve been kind of left behind all these years,” said Guy Villeneuve.

Villeneuve says after the War in Iraq things started to change.

“People are starting to recognize that the people that went over there at that time we didn’t bring this on we were just helping, but now they understand what the kids went through and how many of them didn’t come home,” said Villeneuve.

Organizer Kenny Price, a Vietnam vet himself, has two goals for today’s event – Honoring the service of his brothers in arms and helping them get the help they need.

“There is many of these vets that do not know how or where to go to get medical help. They don’t know how to start the paperwork to get service-connected. They don’t have nowhere to go for shelter if they need it and there is many of them that I feel sorry for. Those guys, a lot of them are embarrassed or ashamed to ask anybody. Don’t be ashamed to do that. Call some of us we will help you any way we can,” said Price.

A county-wide Veterans Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony will be held next Saturday, November 10th. Beginning at 10 AM at the Municipal Complex.