Veterans of Foreign Wars members are inviting the community to honor military men and women for their service.

“It means a lot, it really does,” said Cumming VFW Post Commander Donald Hughes. “I’m a Vietnam veteran myself and it means a lot for people to come up and thank you for your service ... for the freedoms we have.”

Members of the Cumming post will attend the annual Veterans Day ceremony, along with Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt and guest speaker Army veteran Eddie Robinson.

Richard Knight, who served two tours in Vietnam on a naval air flight crew, will be master of ceremonies at Wednesday’s event.

The Veterans Day service doesn’t change much from year to year, he said, which is just fine by him.

“The order in which we do things ... it’s kind of a ritual,” said Knight, who serves as District 2 commander for the VFW Department of Georgia and is a member of the Cumming chapter.

Hughes said the local chapter has a few members currently serving in Afghanistan.

“It will make it more thoughtful because of the ones who are serving and are in harm's way and can’t be here to celebrate with us,” he said, adding the ceremony will pause for a moment to honor their absence.

For Knight, the ceremony has a personal meaning.

“It’s actually very emotional for me,” he said. “I believe that is because Vietnam War veterans were not really welcomed back home. So I think it’s essential for us to ensure that the new veterans are welcomed and also given the honors they deserve for serving their country.”