LaGRANGE — Local Realtor James Potts remembers returning home after serving as a sergeant in the Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

“It was a great feeling knowing you were supported back at home when you were away,” he said. “It was a totally different feeling from back in the Vietnam War era … It was good knowing you had your family and friends supporting you at home — that was all you needed.”

Now Potts, also a member of the American Legion, fellow veteran Tania Griffin and the Troup County Board of Realtors want to pass that feeling of appreciation on to more area veterans.

The group is hosting its inaugural Veterans Day Breakfast on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Potts said the agents and their affiliates will bring food and refreshments. They hope all local veterans will come and join them at the Chamber of Commerce on Bull Street that morning.

“It’s a chance for them to eat and mingle with other veterans,” Potts explained. “There’s probably thousands of veterans in Troup County … this is our way of showing appreciation for them … their sacrifice is the reason why we are a free country today. We just want to say thank you.”

Potts said his own military experience reminds him how important it is to honor veterans and show them they have not been forgotten.

“It takes a brave person to stand up and say, ‘I’ll give four years of my life to my country,’” he said. “They say it without knowing what lies ahead in those next four years. That’s a sacrifice that most people do not do. Even if you don’t come to the breakfast or go to a Veteran’s Day ceremony, remember to thank a veteran for their service on Veterans Day.”

Anyone in the community interested in donating food or refreshments may contact Mandy Brown prior to Wednesday at the Board of Realtors, 706-884-2600.