The cold weather and wind forced the Morris American Legion Post 294’s annual Veterans Day Observance indoors on Tuesday, as local veterans and city residents gathered to pay their respects.

Gerald Zeborowski, commander of the John Martin Steele VFW Post, said when he talks to other veterans, he’s often asked what he would like to see change.

“I have two wishes,” Zeborowski said. “We need to fix the homeless problem. Nationwide, there are approximately 15,000 veterans living on the street. There shouldn’t be any.”

His second wish is for the military to do a better job of helping helping people transition from military life into civilian life.

“We have far too many people coming home wounded, not physically but mentally,” Zeboroski said. “It’s called PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of the homeless people that are veterans suffer from PTSD and can’t get help or they don’t want to seek help.”

He said the military needs to be proactive.

“If you ever wondered why an officer or firefighter is relieved of duty for 30 days after a traumatic accidents, it’s until they get the mental healthcare they deserve,” Zeborowski said. “The military is a stressful place, and they need to do that. I know it’s probably costly but that’s how a human life works.”

He asked the audience to recognize the problems these veterans have, and he shared a couple examples: He said those with PTSD have problems sleeping, trouble concentrating, moodswings and flashbacks.

Zeborowski said there are some veterans that avoid external reminders of their service in general. He said there are many organizations that can help, many organizations like the American Legion and the VFW, and Disabled American Veterans, each of whom were at the event on Tuesday.

Steve Huetteman, the senior vice commander of Disabled American Veterans, thanked veterans and their families for the sacrifices they made.

“They serve something larger than themselves, certainly larger than any recognition,” Huetteman said. “These veterans live among us and we interact with them every day, not knowing what they were like in uniform.”

He shared the story of Don Trejo, a Morris resident who served in Vietnam. He worked at LyondellBasell for 31 years, and spent his life active in his church, as a volunteer at Morris Hospital, and a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Grundy Area PADS.

What Trejo didn’t often share, though, was that he was an infantryman in Vietnam, serving as a rifleman on a company-sized air mobile assault.

“With complete disregard for his own safety, Specialist Trejo unhesitatingly moved from his relatively secure position in the rear and crossed 100 meters of terrain under heavy machine gun fire to aid his moving comrades,” Huetteman said.

Trejo administered first aid, and was awarded a bronze star for his efforts. He was also awarded a Purple Heart.

“Many veterans return home and continue to serve their communities in other ways,” Huetteman said. “Some join their local veterans organizations like Disabled American Veterans or Colorgard.”

Others, Huetteman said, become police officers and firefighters.

The ceremony ended with a laying of wreaths by Linda Kirkman of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Becky West with the American Legion Auxiliary, and Jerry Terando and Jeannie Terando, the parents of fallen soldier Josh Terando, who died in 2006.

Jeannie said she and Jerry just recently met with four of the soldiers who served with their son this weekend.

“When the doorbell rang, one by one, it was the same faces,” Jeannie said. “Some with gray hair, some that are still serving, one who was on his way home from Finland and he came here as soon as his plane landed here.”

She said all the years just melted away.

“They talked with each other,” Jeannie said. “They laughed with each other. They cried with each other. All I could think of, looking and listening to them is they are not just soldiers that served together. These men, these army vets, were one heck of a band of brothers.”