Nearly 80 people attended the ninth annual Greene County Heroes Dinner at the Jefferson Elks Lodge Tuesday night.

The event was in honor of all current military personnel, along with veterans, first responders, law enforcement, emergency medical services and fire fighters in Greene County as a way to say “thank you” for their service to the community. The program portion included remarks by Elks member Les Fister and the featured speaker was Iowa National Guard Command Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion 194th Field Artillery Jeremy Strasser. He talked about several topics including where he was during the moments of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, to the spouses of those that serve in the military or as first responders and in law enforcement, and how training has been essential since those attacks.

“As I look across my battalion, my soldiers have spent between 3 and 15 weeks on active duty this year. They have learned to balance the needs of their employers, the needs of the Guard and their personal lives. I’m truly inspired by the dedication, the loyalty and selflessness of our Iowa National Guardsmen.”

Fister told Raccoon Valley Radio that they had their largest crowd to date of their event and next year, they are officially changing the name to the “Patriot’s Dinner.”

“Many, many of the veterans when you call them heroes, they almost want to slap you upside the head because they say, ‘No they heroes didn’t come home.’ But heroes did come home. They just didn’t have to pay the ultimate sacrifice that those that didn’t come home. But they’re all heroes.”

The event closed with the playing of Taps by Wayne Lautner.