There were several events held in Great Falls to mark Veterans Day, including a ceremony at the Montana Veterans Memorial, speeches at the University of Great Falls, and free food at Procraft.

Montana Veterans Memorial: Many area residents attended a Veterans Day ceremony at the Montana Veterans Memorial, including Senator Max Baucus, who presented a flag to the veterans of Montana.

This year, the ceremony gave a salute to the nation's females in the military by giving them a rose, presenting the colors, and having Girl Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance. There are an estimated 8,000 female veterans in Montana.

Alice Hendrix, a veteran of World War II, said, "All of us who enlisted during World War II, we tried to be the best we could under the circumstances that we had and I'm glad that everybody now is going on to better things."

Colonel Nikki DeWolf of the Montana National Guard noted, "Women want to make a difference. I say they can. And I say they have."

Officials with the Montana Veterans Memorial say they do not just honor those who serve our country on Veterans Day, but every day of the year.

University of Great Falls: The University of Great Falls held a special celebration to honor veterans. The event featured the Malmstrom Air Force Base Honor Guard, a historical perspective of Veterans Day, and guest speakers, including Wally Morger, a Marine Corps veteran and Iwo Jima survivor.

Morger noted, "Probably one of the most pervasive emotions that a serviceman experiences is that of loneliness.  He might be surrounded by dozens of buddies and all that, but he still remembers his home."

After the war, Morger worked as a postmaster in Fort Benton for 41 years.

Procraft Carstar: Veterans headed to Procraft Carstar on Central Avenue today to enjoy some free food. Procraft partnered with Vans IGA to provide donuts and coffee for breakfast and a chicken lunch this afternoon. It's Procraft's way of showing appreciation to all the servicemen and women.

Rick English, a US Air Force retiree, said, "I think its fantastic what the community does for the veterans and what the veterans have been doing voluntarily for years."

Sharolyn Taylor, Procraft marketing representative, noted, "We have such a huge military presence in Great Falls, they are a large part of our culture and community and we just wanted to bless them in a special way."

Over 40 local businesses supplied coupons for goodie bags. Procraft is honoring the military throughout the month, and active-duty and retired members are welcome to stop in during November to pick up a goodie bag.