GALION — Many clubs and other establishments in the area honored veterans on Monday by offering up activities and free meals. Galion American Legion Scarbrough Post 243 in South Market Street was no different as they served up pancakes and sausage at their annual Veterans Day breakfast.

Mixing up pancake batter was Legion member Rick Johnston. He served in the Air Force and said they usually get a little over 100 people at the breakfast each year.

Johnston worked on the flight line in aircraft maintenance and served from 1967-1971.

Johnston worked on the flight line in aircraft maintenance and served from 1967-1971.

“It’s important that we honor our veterans because they are the ones who got us here,” he said. “My dad was in the Navy, and I have a son that went to the Navy. We try to keep it going.”

John Wise was at the breakfast for the first time. He was a mechanic in the Army having served in Vietnam.

“When I was there I was a truck driver, picking up parts for trucks,” he said. “There were several events that stick out in my mind, but many of them aren’t very pretty.

“Being in the military is a rough life. Nobody believes that, but it is,” Wise said. “I liked basic training. I made good money there.” He said he didn’t like to do R&R, but preferred working KP duty.

“I’d make $60-$80 a week there and that was on top of (my regular pay).”

Gary Strickler was also enjoying his breakfast at the Legion on Monday. He served in the Army from 1967-1978, counting his reserve time. He was in terminal transportation, which involved changing supplies and equipment from one mode of transportation to another.

“We might take it off a rail car and put it onto trucks or might take it off an airplane and put it on rail cars,” he said, noting he enjoyed most of his time in the military.

Strickler said he has been attending the Legion Veterans Day breakfast since he was four-yearsold with his grandpa. He said the only time he missed it was when he was living in Texas.

Al Forry, a past commander at the Galion American Legion, was taking turns flipping flapjacks on Monday with Rocky Gantz.

Forry served in the Navy, six years active duty and 22 years in the reserves. He served from 1965-1971 active duty. He was a diesel engine technician and also had submarine service. Forry also served in the elite special forces team of the Navy SEALS. He said he served three years with the SEALS and said the training today is a lot harder than it was for him.

“I jumped out of an airplane two times and that was two times too many,” he said.

Forry said he couldn’t talk about the missions he completed, but said one of their major missions was cancelled.

“Twenty-four hours before we were supposed to leave to go over there they started that Tet Offensive and cancelled our mission,” he said.

“I liked being able to travel,” Forry said. “We mainly stationed out of New London, Connecticut and traveled up and down the east coast, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and did a seven-month deployment to the Mediterranean.”