Those who attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Atmore City Council got a special treat.

The meeting was held in the city hall auditorium rather than the normal council chambers, in order to welcome a larger-than-normal audience of citizens. The city invited local veterans to attend Tuesday’s meeting, and also honored them in several ways — including with a proclamation and with the playing of the national anthem.

Several different people lent their musical talents to make it a special ceremony. Sandy Hollinger and Magan Young performed the national anthem, Lana Langford sang “God Bless the U.S.A.” and Whitney McGill Maholovich performed her rendition of “God Bless America.” Adding some extra patriotic flair, David and Stephen Gehman performed Taps and the Star-Spangled Banner.

It would have certainly been easy for the city to simply have had a simple ceremony for the veterans, perhaps by reading a proclamation and having a standing ovation. However, by bringing in musical talents and decorating the auditorium with a patriotic theme, the city made the day even more special. An extra impressive part of the day’s ceremony was the large U.S. flag that hanged outside the city hall, thanks to the Atmore Fire Department’s ladder truck.

As Mayor Jim Staff said during Tuesday’s ceremony, it is impossible to truly ever thank veterans for everything they have done. However, Tuesday’s event was definitely a nice way to show that appreciation.