Alton Throop says he’s drawn by the camaraderie of brothers and sisters in arms.

“I wanted to celebrate life with the rest of the veterans,” said Throop, 83, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II who lives in Mosiertown. “I’m glad to see something like this going on. I wish more communities would do this. A lot of boys put their lives on the line and didn’t come back.”

Throop was one of more than 100 local veterans honored Tuesday at Active Aging Inc.’s ninth annual, “Through a Veteran’s Eye: A Salute.”

The program, drawing about 300 people to the Lew Davies Community Center in downtown Meadville, featured a free community breakfast and speakers on the importance of Veterans Day.

Gilbert Harriman, 92, of Edinboro, a U.S. Navy veteran, agreed with Throop.

“I enjoy all this,” said Harriman, who was with his

wife, Roberta. “The last time we came was two years ago. It was great.”

While honoring veterans from all conflicts, this year’s program particularly hailed those who had served during World War II.

There were about 46 million veterans from World War II, with about 26 million still alive. However, the U.S. is

losing about 1,000 World War II veterans a day, said Col. U. Karl McGregor, this year’s featured speaker.

It’s men like Throop, Harriman and others who served during World War II who help make this country great, said McGregor, who is commander of the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio.

However, all veterans — whether serving during wartime or peace — are heroes, he said.

“Veterans are the sword and shield of America,” Mc-Gregor added. “They served with selflessness and devotion to country.”

Doing military service changes a person for the better, said McGregor, who has served in the Air Force for 32 years and saw duty in Iraq and Kuwait.