HERRIMAN, Utah — A small group of veterans gathered outside Herriman City Hall for a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony Wednesday, sharing a bond forged through military service and the experiences that followed them home.
For Marine combat veteran Jonny Larsen, Veterans Day is a time to remember both his own service and those who did not make it home.
“I was stationed in D.C. I witnessed the attack on the Pentagon,” Larsen said.
Larsen also fought in Iraq. Years after his service, he said those experiences remain with him.
“I'm lucky to be here," he said, "and I'm always thinking of my brothers who didn't get to come home."
Combat survival rates have climbed over 90 years, but surviving veterans need more support:
The ceremony was held with the help of Friends of Herriman, a nonprofit organization that works to assist veterans, first responders, and their families.
Penny Flake, with Friends of Herriman, said the organization stepped in to help keep the tradition going.
“It makes them feel good,” Flake said. “You watched them when they were putting those flags up. It really helped them.”
But the organization's work extends beyond Veterans Day.
Friends of Herriman helps families struggling with expenses such as housing, utilities and food. The organization also connects veterans in need of resources, including health care, food banks and mental health support.
For Larsen, knowing those resources and connections exist can make a significant difference for veterans adjusting to life after their service.
“When you come home, it's not something that you can just leave behind, and we're always constantly reminded of it,” Larsen said. “It's easy to always feel alone when you don't know of resources that you can reach out to.”
One challenge, Flake said, is making sure veterans know the organization exists and ensuring there are enough people available to help.
“I think that's the challenge: volunteers,” she said.
Friends of Herriman hopes additional volunteers will allow it to reach more veterans and families throughout the community.
For Larsen, programs that bring veterans together offer something that can be difficult to recreate once their military service ends.
“Allow us to regain a semblance of that brotherhood or that sisterhood that we once had when we were serving,” Larsen said. “That is irreplaceable.”
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