FARMINGTON -- A solemn flag-folding rite ended a ceremony to recognize veterans from all decades and branches of the military who served their country.

Purple Heart recipients from the Korean War, families of those killed in action, and veterans who served but were never recognized for their sacrifice gathered in Farmington on Saturday for an appreciative audience.

This "Honoring a Veteran" program recognizes honorable military service and pays tribute to those who have given their lives in defense of freedom, according to Lt. Col. (Ret.) Peter Ogden.

As director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Ogden has a personal kinship with his audience, because he also served two tours in Vietnam.

"Generations of families have served, and 16.1 percent of Maine people are veterans," he said. "Some lost more than one family member, and 470 Mainers are still missing."

After he launched the program, he began digging through records to track down veterans and their families. Because Maine has nearly the highest percentage of veterans in the United States, he said, his phone rings steadily this time of year.

He awarded a gold star medal to families of soldiers who were killed in action, a silver star to those wounded or captured, and bronze star for the families of those service members who lost their lives in the line of non-combat duty.

Rep. Tom Saviello, I-Wilton, began this local recognition project last year with Ogden, and the Farmington Baptist Church offered the space for the large crowd.

"We've identified 100 veterans, and we'll give out 45 medals and certificates tonight," he said.

Craig Hutchinson, a member of the church who helped organize the event, expressed sadness that his Uncle Rusty of Weld, had to miss the ceremony.

"He's got the flu or a cold, and he didn't want to take the chance he'd pass it along to others, so he stayed at home tonight," Hutchinson said.

A young man in 1942, Lawrence (Rusty) Lee was to graduate from high school in the spring of 1943, but because he was already 18, he was drafted into the Army in December. He was shipped to North Africa and eventually landed in Italy.

"He went from Anzio to Rome under Gen. Mark Clark," Hutchinson said. "He was wounded several times in Italy, the worst being a severe head wound leaving him deaf in one ear, and he spent months recuperating in Italian hospitals."

During his tour in Italy, Lee witnessed the bombing of the monastery at Monte Casino and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 1944.

Maj. Gen. William Libby spoke to the crowd before he awarded the medals.

"I used to stay awake at night at our summer camp in Wales, listening to my relatives talk about their experiences," he said. "They didn't talk about their battles. They talked about the places they'd seen, and their friends and their lives."

This type of character and courage is what makes the United States a great country today, Libby said.