Norwich — In honor of Veterans Day at Norwichtown Rehabilitation & Care Center, the Center for Hospice Care conducted a veterans pinning ceremony on Friday to honor five of the center's residents representing service in all branches of the U.S. armed forces.

The recognition was part of Center for Hospice Care's "We Honor Veterans" program, which provides for the unique needs of vets at the end of their life. Ned Ruete, a veteran who himself has been pinned, presided over the ceremony, which included the reading of a personalized proclamation to each veteran being honored.

"One in four dying Americans is a military veteran," Carol L. Mahier, president and CEO of Center for Hospice Care, said in a statement. "Because we believe that veterans are deserving of special care, we provide our staff and volunteers specialized training, including for PTSD, pain management and in how to encourage them to talk about their wartime and military experience. We find that many veterans at the end of life feel unappreciated for the service they gave to their country.  Our We Honor Veterans Pinning Ceremony is our way of saying thanks to them."