GLASGOW — Many military men and women feel most at ease when they are in the presence of one another. For the more than 225 Barren County veterans and family members in attendance, Tuesday’s Veterans’ Dinner at the Kentucky National Guard Armory in Glasgow was an opportunity to see old friends and make new ones.

T.J. Jewell, 88, attended the dinner with his wife, Myra. The couple have attended the dinner every year since it began, more than 30 years ago. T.J., a Glasgow native, served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation mechanic in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War before returning to work at the Glasgow Airport for more than 20 years. He said the dinner always provides a time when he can catch up with his fellow veterans.

“There aren’t as many of us left, you know,” he said.

The honored guest speaker, Lt. Col. Samuel Williams, oversees military recruiting in the region and is based in Nashville. He said the generations of soldiers sitting before him gave him a special sense of reverence.

“With veterans I’m at home, I’m at ease. There’s a reverence when I’m with them, because I know that they’ve set the conditions for us to have a seat here. The freedoms that we enjoy are because of these veterans here. I feel like I’m with family,” he said.

Williams told the dinner attendees that he was speaking with a heavy heart after last week’s deadly attack at Fort Hood.

“The things that happened at Fort Hood, Texas, last week were horrific. And I think the Chief of Staff said it best, it was a kick in the gut. Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and like many of you, I’ve lost loved ones when they were deployed and we can’t bring them back, but this is a time of reflection,” he said.

He praised the attending veterans of each of the wars and conflicts over the past 100 years, including those who served at Pearl Harbor and were prisoners of war. Williams said that the men and women span from the “greatest generation to the latest generation.” When current soldiers ask about the lengths of their deployment, he said, the discussion always returns to the example and bravery set before them by previous soldiers.

“We talk about the soldiers that fought in World War II and how long they were deployed, a long period of time, years even. We draw a comparison to our brothers who fought before us,” he said. “In our armed forces, we about to have a good rotation now that allows them to come back and have time at home.”

Brandon Nelson, of Glasgow, served as a private first class in the war in Iraq more than seven months in 2008 in the 10th Mountain Division based in Fort Polk, La. He attended the dinner for the first time this year and said the turnout of older generations of veterans was impressive. He spoke with Williams after the event to ask what he can do to get involved with the military and the war again.

“He gave me his business card and said to call him,” Nelson said. “A lot of times when you are active it is hard to talk to the higher ups like him, so it was a good opportunity.”

Nelson said he hasn’t had the chance to interact with many veterans yet, but the dinner was a good way to stay near the military community.

Williams said interactions like the one with Nelson are frequent for him and that level of willingness speaks well upon the present generation of service men and women.

“I know soldiers that will came back after 12 months and after a couple months they are ready to go back into combat. I’ve got soldiers that are detail recruiting for three years, and after their time of being out here they are ready to get back into it,” he said.

Williams said the dinner, complete with a table in tribute to those fallen and missing in action, was a way for the men and women in uniform to honor one another before the full Veterans Day festivities begin. He is scheduled to speak after the parade through Glasgow, but said he would much rather interact with the veterans one on one.

“In my line of work, I don’t want to become the center of attention, but I understand their wanting to give back. I’d rather be low-key and talk with them, but I understand. I want to meet them and say thanks, and if I have to do it until midnight I will because that’s my duty,” he said.