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Governor Scott Honors Nearly 200 Veterans In Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) -- It was standing room only inside the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Hollywood Tuesday morning .

Nearly 200 veterans pledged their allegiance to the Unites States in unison just moments before Florida Governor Rick Scott honored them with Governor's Veterans Service Awards for their service to Florida and the nation.

""The courage and sacrifice these veterans displayed while serving our country has contributed to the freedoms and opportunities Florida families benefit from everyday," said Scott.

One of the veterans honored was Navy vet Anthony Atwood who wore his new medal with pride.

"It means a lot that the governor cares about veterans and that he himself has served and knows about the sacrifices," said Atwood.

"It's an honor just to be in this room with the decades of war heroes….If you look around, you see all generations, you know, and I think it's good that we get better at honoring those who serve. To just say thank you is a big thing for the community and for us veterans," said Kelsey Desantis, a Marine Corp. veteran.

CBS4's Summer Knowles asked Governor Scott, "So what do you hope this medal means to them? Is this just a small token of appreciation?"

"Yes that's exactly it, that we care about them," replied Scott.

During the ceremony, Scott also highlighted the service of Florida veteran Janette Ramos Chandler.

Chandler is a retired Chief Petty Officer who served as the Command Chief for the Navy Operational Support Center in Miami. After her service, she went on to become Director of Veteran Affairs for Freedom Veterans of America. She received the Outstanding Veteran Service Award in June 2014. Janette is currently the Project Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Florida Veterans Foundation.

Click here to watch Summer Knowles' report.

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