SAN DIEGO — Dozens of Vietnam veterans and their families attended a stunning sunset ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery for Veterans Day.
The ceremony honored those who served in the Vietnam War and those who were imprisoned.
“I went down in November 1969 flying an armored con mission I was taken prisoner in Laos,” said Henry James Bedinger, a former Navy pilot and prisoner of war.
Bedinger spent 1,223 days held captive.
“I found faith in God, faith in our country, and faith in our friends and families in particularly our fellow POWs - those three things really helped me survived my captivity," said Bedinger.
He and other veterans were honored for their bravery and endurance at the new Committal Shelter Charlie overlooking Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
“It means a lot to me because it’s easy to just granted, but we can never take freedom for granted it is a cost that every generation pays," he said.
Attendees also heard from a Vietnamese-American refugee who evacuated Vietnam with his family to start a new life in the United States.
WATCH RELATED: Fleet Week returns to San Diego on Veterans weekend