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U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi and his wife, Diana, attended the first annual Veterans Day ceremony at Primrose Retirement Home in Gillette on Friday afternoon.

It was his third Veterans Day event in two days. He'd attended the Rozet Elementary program Thursday afternoon — "it's still one of the noted Veterans Day celebrations in Wyoming" — he said, and then traveled with Diana to Buffalo to visit the Veterans Home on Friday morning.

As a former Air Force soldier, he said, he remembers visiting the Air Force Memorial near the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., which honors those "who gave up their todays so we could have tomorrow."

Wyoming, per capita, has the most men and women involved in the military, he added. He was a supply sergeant for the mess hall.

"We have a lot of connections because of Wyoming," he said. "We have a low population, so you get to know the people. Thanks for your service."

Enzi had private words with many of the 14 men and two women he honored at Primrose and knew many of them personally as a small business owner and mayor of Gillette many yeas ago. He also thanked the families of those who have served for their own sacrifices.

"Thank you very much," he said as he handed out individual bags of Bugles chips — a shoutout of sorts with bugles blaring for the vets an organizer said — to each person being honored.

Sitting among the veterans near the podium was Richard Shober, still wearing his uniform jacket from World War II.

While Enzi spoke and then visited with those attending the ceremony, several walkers were lined up to the side of the room, almost like jets lined up on the tarmac ready to takeoff. Enzi said he'd noticed that effect, too, as he shook the hands of the veterans and others who attended.

Thanked by executive director Nancy Mills, Diana responded "we are the ones who are honored."

Among those honored by Enzi at Primrose were: Gene Anderson, Phil Arsenault, Bud Bowker, Elton Herman, Neal Matti, Richard Shober, Jack Strain, Rani Schell, Frank Goodwin, Richard Gray, Keith Hutchinson, Harold Magnuson, Robert Smoot, Jay Wilkinson Sr., Donny York and Stacy Ary.