QUINCY — The Illinois Veterans' Home at Quincy hosted the annual Veterans' Day program Tuesday morning, paying tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniforms of the nation's military.

"It's an honor to be able to speak at an event like this, to be able to represent all the veterans who have served," keynote speaker John Bleigh said. Bleigh is a retired Lt. Colonel who served in the U.S. Army. "To be able to speak on the importance of Veterans' Day for all of us veterans, there's a lot of veterans that have a lot of great stories."

Bleigh was born and raised in Hannibal, Mo. He graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 2000 as a commissioned engineering officer. In 2006, Bleigh completed Special Forces selection and qualification, going on to lead missions in the

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