That’s American Legion Post 160 commander Keith Hughes with the two U.S. Coast Guardsmen from Everett who came to tonight’s Veterans Day dinner at the post in The Triangle with a gift: A flag that flew on a USCG Port Security Unit 313 patrol boat while it was under way on maritime-security patrol on the Legion’s 97th anniversary, March 15, 2016. They explained the unit wanted to thank the post for the care packages they had sent, and then described where and when the flag had flown:

Other gifts at the dinner – thank-you cards for veterans, created by students at Madison Middle School:

The dinner is an annual tradition at Post 160, free to local veterans, active-duty personnel, guard and reserve members, and their families. Tonight’s attendance was the best ever.

Commander Hughes, who served in the Army, read a well-known verse of thanks to those who fought for the rights our country holds dear:

And as we left, we passed another family arriving, with a Troop 282 Boy Scout whose grandmother and aunt are veterans, though too far away to come along. They brought gifts too … cherry and apple pies.