SUQUAMISH — Their hair may have gray and their active duty may be a memory, but give ’em the microphone for introductions and the old soldiers could “hooah!” and the old Marines could “oorah!” with anyone wearing the uniform today.

Pride — and appreciation — ran deep at the Suquamish Warriors Veterans Honoring at Kiana Lodge, Nov. 11. More than 100 veterans gathered for the annual Veterans Day event, hosted by the Suquamish Warriors veterans organization. Lunch was provided by Kiana Lodge and veterans were presented with commemorative dog tags; some veterans received Pendleton blankets.

Among those honored: Marjorie Napoleon, the Suquamish Tribe’s eldest female veteran. She served in the U.S. Army from 1949-52, doing drafting and topographic work in Frankfurt, Germany. According to the Suquamish Veterans Resource Program, Napoleon graduated from Army Engineer School, served 1 year 6 months in post-war Europe, achieved the rank of corporal, and was decorated with the Army of Occupation Medal.

The veterans — whose service ranged from World War II to Iraq — were assured that their willingness to put their lives on the line for their nation was not taken for granted.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to be here today,” Suquamish Warriors chaplain Ed Midkiff said. Remembering veterans who have passed on or are absent because of injury, as well as active duty personnel serving abroad, he said, “They are here in our hearts.” He prayed that “all those who participate today will feel the love.”

“We hold our hands up to you,” said James Old Coyote of the Sacred Water Canoe Family. He said he and his family often talk about the freedoms that we enjoy because of the service and sacrifice of our military personnel. “We recognize that every time we pick up our drum and sing our songs,” he said.

Sacred Water offered an Honor Song, to honor veterans for their service; a Remembrance Song, to remember those who did not return from the battlefield; a Warrior Song, to honor those serving now; and a song of thanks.

In an article in Suquamish News, Suquamish Tribe Veterans Resource Program coordinator LaVada Anderson summed up the importance of this honoring event. “This day is an honoring day,” she  wrote. “We honor those who have served and those who are still fighting. It is also a day where we come together and pray for our homeless to find their way home, and for the service members still fighting to return home safe … When you see a veteran on Nov. 11, offer a hand shake of recognition for their sacrifice and welcome them home.”

Washington state is home to 603,623 veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of that number, 459,831 are wartime veterans, 208,006 served in the Gulf War, 208,485 served during the Vietnam War, 44,052 served in the Korean War, 24,824 served in World War II, 143,791 served in peacetime. According to VA, 64,392 veterans in Washington state are women, 539,231 are men.

The estimated veteran population in Kitsap County is 35,313, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The lunch was the second event in two days of honoring. On Nov. 10, the Suquamish Warriors presented a wreath, sounded “Taps” and fired a salute at the Veterans Memorial in Suquamish Village. Nov. 11 closed with free dinners for veterans at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Hotel buffet.