Veteran tour honors hometown heroes in Traverse City

TRAVERSE CITY, Mi (WPBN/WGTU) -- More than 100 veterans were honored today as hometown heroes in Traverse City.

With a police escort, dozens of veterans spent the morning being driven around Traverse City on a veterans tour.

Stops along the way included the Korean War Monument, Veterans Memorial Park and the V.F.W.

The tour wrapped up at Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City for luncheon where we caught up with Richard Rizzio.

After having a few close calls overseas, Rizzio says he was one of the lucky ones who was able to make it home alive.

"It not just remembers us and what we did but it remembers all the people we don't have with us," said Battle of the Bulge veteran Richard Rizzio. "It's a real honor to go through this, to have this kind of a day; brings back a lot of memories."

"It's really special and it's nice being a military base in a town like this and being a commander of that base," said U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City Cdr. Gregory Matyas.

This year was a first for the Hometown Heroes Veterans Tour and Luncheon.

Organizers say they hope the event becomes an annual tradition for years to come.