Veterans honored in special celebration at Wehr Nature Center

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- With Thanksgiving around the corner, and on the heels of Veterans Day, the Wehr Nature Center honored about a dozen veterans for their service.

"With Veterans Day and the holidays, everybody gets really, really, busy, and this was the time that we could find to honor the veterans that come to Wehr Nature Center. We wouldn't be here without our veteran volunteers, and we just wanted to recognize everyone," said Holly Walz, park naturalist at Wehr Nature Center.

The celebration took place during a Spark! session, a program designed for those suffering from memory loss. A good number of the members are veterans.

Army veteran Kevin Walz said recognition for their service goes a long way, especially during the holiday season.

"There's veterans right now that are homeless, we have a lot of veterans that are. I think we lose about 22 veterans a day to suicide, so it's important, I think, as a society, that we remember our veterans," said Walz.

Marine Corp and Air Force veteran Mark Campbell said the Wehr Nature Center has been a great place for veterans. He hopes the event serves as a reminder of the sacrifices veterans have made.

"Thank the veterans for what you do have and for what you got," said Campbell.

The celebration included several speakers, including the Marquette University ROTC Color Guard.