On the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month, Gwinnett County recognized the men and women who served in the armed forces during its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.

The ceremony began with a Veterans March at the memorial. All veterans who served honorably were encouraged to participate and be honored for their service and sacrifice.

Retired Brig. Gen. Curt Rauhut, executive vice president and chief operations officer for Georgia Military College, led the keynote address at this year’s ceremony. Rauhut served for more than 30 years as a military Finance Corps officer, including overseeing disbursements of $9.2 billion associated with the Afghanistan Security Force Funds to train, equip, sustain and construct facilities for the Afghanistan military and police. As a colonel, he was a principal advisor to the director of the Army Budget in building an annual budget of more than $200 billion. Among his many commendations, Rauhut received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, a Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Defense Meritorious Service medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He also holds Master Parachutist Badge, an Air Assault Badge, and a Scuba Diver Badge.

The County hosts its Veterans Day Ceremo­ny each November to pay tribute to those in the military during wartime or peacetime. Gwinnett residents who have served in any branch of the armed forces and their families are invited to participate. Likewise, all residents are encouraged to attend to show appreciation to those who helped protect and defend the country.

Watch the full video of this year’s ceremony on TV Gwinnett’s Vimeo page.

See photos from the ceremony on Flickr.

For more about the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial, visit www.gwinnettfallenheroes.com.