Thank you for your (table) service.

Dartmouth’s veterans got a free meal with a side of gratitude on Friday, Nov. 4 at the annual Veteran’s Luncheon, hosted by the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly.

“It’s something that the friends feel very strongly about,” said Friends of the Elderly President Maria Connor. “So this is a way of showing how much we care.”

Connor said that the event has been going on for over 15 years and has evolved from a small breakfast gathering at the Council on Aging to an over-150-person event which eventually got so large it had to be moved to Rachel’s Lakeside.

She added that the luncheon is free for everyone invited, including veterans, their families, and other guests.

“We’ve managed through the years to raise the money, and we will continue to do so,” she said.

Speaking at the event were Congressman William R. Keating (D-MA), State Rep. Chris Markey, Dartmouth Selectman Stanley Mickelson, and the guest of honor, Commander Billie Farrell, the first female commander of the U.S.S. Constitution.

“I’ve been able to work a lot of amazing jobs and with a lot of amazing people,” Farrell said of her military career. “It’s an honor and a privilege to work on this ship.”