Long Island's Vietnam vets get rousing applause at Veterans Day ceremony at Calverton National Cemetery

Richard Toth remembers the days when he and other American soldiers returning from Vietnam were met with scorn instead of gratitude.

So it was especially meaningful on Wednesday when a crowd of several hundred people at an outdoor Veterans Day ceremony at Calverton National Cemetery gave Toth and other Vietnam veterans a rousing round of applause.

"We’re getting more of the accolades today that we should have gotten years ago when we came home," said Toth, 78, of East Northport. He was at the event as part of a delegation of about 20 members of the Suffolk County chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, an advocacy group.

The ceremony "makes me feel very proud to be an American and a veteran," he said.

The hourlong ceremony featured a community band playing the official songs of different branches of the military such as the Marines, the firing of volleys and — in one of the most poignant moments — a bugler playing taps.

Some 300,000 veterans and their loved ones are buried on Calverton’s 1,045 acres, making it one of the largest and most active cemeteries run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the VA. The cemetery has about 7,000 burials a year.

The man in charge of it, Cesar M. Julca, a Marine veteran who grew up in Central Islip, told the crowd they were standing on "hallowed ground."

"Throughout the nation’s history our service members have faced extraordinary challenges," Julca said. "They have stood watch on lonely bridges, fought through dense jungles, endured the heat in distant deserts," and survived on "cold icy mountains. They have spent countless days and nights at sea and faced danger in the skies.

"They have sacrificed their youth, their time, their health and in some cases their very lives in service to our country," he said.

Lourdes Peska, 54, of Westbury, stood at the ceremony wearing a long-sleeve shirt that bore the name of her father, Mariano Roldan Jr., along the sleeve.

She said her father served in the Special Forces in Vietnam, and she came to the event to honor him. He "fought for our country, our freedom, respect," she said. "My father was a patriot."

His recent death "hits the heart especially" hard, Peska said.

Following his inspiration, many family members, including her, have joined the NYPD or the military, Peska said.

Nancy Barci, 62, of Westhampton, and her partner, Andrew Kuroski, 65, said they had numerous relatives who served in conflicts including World War II and in Korea and Afghanistan. They said they came to the event to remember and honor them as well as all veterans.

"They should be definitely recognized for their service, for protecting us," Barci said.

Kuroski said "it means a lot for me to be here today. The veterans are unsung heroes and they should get a lot more recognition. ... Every day should be Veterans Day."

Ken Erland, 77, a Vietnam veteran from Ridge who said he served in the U.S. Army’s elite 82 Airborne Division, said the day was especially somber for him as he recalled many of his friends from the military.

"A lot of them didn’t make it out of Vietnam," he said.

Calverton is filled with such stories, Julca told the crowd.

"Behind every head stone there is a story, a story of courage, commitment, family and a willingness to serve something greater than oneself," he said.