Red, white and blue were the colors of the day at the Georgia War Veterans Home as nearly 1,000 turned out for the annual Veterans Day celebration at the state-run facility Tuesday morning.

Col. Daniel Holtz, USAF, MSC (Ret.), current director of Health Contracting & Facilities with the Department of Veterans Service, welcomed the crowd and noted the sacrifices made by those veterans present and those that were celebrating Veterans Day overseas.

“As a veteran myself, once that oath is taken, it sticks for a lifetime. The decision to serve changed their lives,” Holtz said.

The Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville has come under intense scrutiny and criticism in recent weeks as 81 veterans search for new homes with the impending closure of the domiciliary Nov. 30 due to state budget cuts.

“The past four months have not been easy,” Holtz said. “The good news is that we have made significant progress to ensure all the domiciliary residents will have found new homes by Nov. 30.”

The struggle of the veterans to find new living quarters may have been partially responsible for the larger-than-usual crowd seen at Tuesday’s ceremony, according to H. Morris Graybeal, executive director of the Georgia War Veterans Home.

“To my knowledge, everyone has found a place to go. All the guys said they will be out of here by that time,” Graybeal said after the ceremony concluded. “We appreciate the support of the community and appreciate having so many here today. The veterans always look forward to it.”

When questioned about the public perception of 81 veterans having to forcibly relocate, Graybeal acknowledged the frustration of the community but also asked for patience in a time of difficult transition.

“We appreciate everybody’s support during the crisis we are going through and appreciate their understanding,” Graybeal said.

As the ceremony continued, Col. Gerald A. Johnson, USAF (Ret.), spoke on the sacrifices made by the veterans and thanked them for their support to their country.

“We value liberty and freedom and have throughout the history of our country ... A willingness to sacrifice for our country continues today,” Johnson said.

One person who has sacrificed for his country and who was present for Tuesday’s ceremony was Bill Wheeler, who served in the Air Force in Korea.

A smile was visible on Wheeler’s face as he watched more than 200 Georgia Military College cadets and the Baldwin High NJROTC pass in review only a few feet away for those present.

“This is the first time I’ve attended. I think it’s great. It’s an indication people are still interested in Veterans Day. It was a wonderful program,” Wheeler said afterward. “I think it’s nice to see people here and it projects patriotism. It’s an indication that our younger folks are interested in getting involved in the armed forces programs.”

Col. John Alton, himself retired from the armed forces and now active in Milledgeville through several community organizations, also expressed a positive point of view in regards to the public attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony.

“I thought that it was great and well attended. I’ve been coming to the Veterans Day ceremony here for 15 years. I think the best difference was the weather and the attendance and enthusiasm was excellent. I think the crowd is showing support for the veterans and I think there is a lot of patriotism because of the significant number of Milledgeville soldiers and veterans and the number of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Alton said.

Support for Georgia’s veterans — as well as veterans around the nation — has always been a priority even through budgetary issues, according to Holtz.

The State Department of Veterans Service provided services to more than 765,000 Georgia veterans, their dependents and survivors as of September 2008.

“Ensuring their smooth transition from veteran to civilian is a priority for us. We don’t wait for them to come to us. We go to them,” Holtz said. “There are no blank checks to match those signed by our veterans.”