ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- November 11 is recognized as Veterans Day, a time to recognize those in the United States who have served in the military. 

However, Saturday’s ceremony at the Port of Rochester recognized a shrinking group of individuals who saw firsthand one of the bloodiest battles in US Military History. Not far from Ontario Beach Park's Monument, the last surviving members of the Genesee Valley Chapter of Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge gathered at the Port of Rochester to reminisce.

The Battle of the Bulge took place in Belgium and Luxembourg in the Winter of 1944 to 1945 against Nazi Germany. The sudden offensive and poor weather made fighting difficult for American Troops, who found themselves without air support in the densely wooded Ardennes Forest. Rochester area veterans of the battle founded the chapter in 1998, 82 strong.

Only about 10 members of the Chapter are alive today; all of them in their 90s. During Saturday's ceremony, they recalled horrors  of the conflict that claimed the lives of almost 20,000 American military members, with another 70,000 wounded or missing. Sgt. John Froy of Greece was a machine gunner during the battle.

"It's invigorating to know that a lot of people are finally learning about American history, which has been sadly neglected. Even at our schools, I speak at many of them and I'm amazed at what those kids don't know," Froy said. “Let me take you back 73 years. We’re in a Foxhole just south of Bastogne, the ground is trembling for the violence of the artillery from where the Germans were shelling us. The guy next to me, Harvey Wilson was feeding ammo into my machine gun, and I told him to feed it faster. I didn’t get a reply from him. He was dead right next to me.”

WWII Veterans weren't the only ones at the ceremony. Dozens more who served in more recent conflicts came to pay their respects to those who served before them.

"The history of service to the nation is without parallel,” said David Bookins, a Vietnam veteran. “Especially if you look back as far as Patrick O'Rorke and the Battle of Gettysburg. The bridge not too far from here is named after him. There are a lot of great American heroes that have come from Rochester."