(ABC 6 News) – Rochester area veterans organizations paid tribute to servicemembers past and present, in a ceremony and free breakfast held Monday morning at the Rochester International Events Center.

The ceremony carried a notable absence, being the first without longtime veterans advocate Wayne Stillman, who died last year. Stillman was the “driving force” behind many area veterans initiatives, including the Soldiers Field Memorial and Veterans Park, which now bear his name on the street address, 300 Wayne Stillman Pkwy.

Terry Throndson is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and now serves as president of the Soldier Field Veterans Memorial. “(Wayne) pointed at me, said ‘you’re in charge’,” he says. “They’re some big shoes to fill.”

Keynote speaker Rod Haworth, U.S. Army vet and current Veterans Services representative for Hennepin County, said planning stages are underway to give his generation of veterans, (who served in the War on Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and later conflicts) a spot on the memorial.

“We’re all getting to the age where we’re going to be the old guy at the bar at the VFW,” said Haworth. “So let’s do it now. Let’s get together and let’s let’s work at service organizations and come together and share our our shared experiences from overseas, from combat, from time in service.”

Chad Stowers of VFW Post 1215 served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, and Rochester’s VFW Post 1215 served as Honor Guard, which included honor and color guards from American Legion Post 92, Vietnam Veterans of America Post 1110, Rochester Fire Department, the Olmsted County Sheriffs Department and Rochester Police Department.