Erwin Baca, a chief warrant officer 2 with the New Mexico Army National Guard, was one of seven members of his unit to celebrate Veterans Day in Santa Fe on Saturday.

Baca, who was stationed in Tallil, Iraq, until earlier this month, said, "It's great to be home" with his wife, Raquel, and his two sons, Brandon, 5, and Dylan, 3.

Raquel Baca said her husband's return is going to take some getting used to. "It's overpowering," she said. "I have two little ones, and they have to adjust a little bit because we've been by ourselves for a whole year."

Baca said coming home to celebrations like the city-sponsored Veterans Day parade on the Plaza and the ceremony sponsored by the VFW Post 2951 at the Bataan Memorial Building were "really nice and inspiring."

"The support is overwhelm-ing," he said. "It means a lot. I don't know if you could ever express to people how much it means. They were supportive when we were there and now that we're back. It's so sad that the Vietnam veterans never got this support."

Vietnam veteran Daniel Gurule and his cousin, Richard Gallegos, who both weredrafted in 1966, came to honor veterans before them and the soldiers currently at war.

"My heart goes out to all the soldiers that have served this great country, especially those from New Mexico, and for all of those other soldiers that have been forgotten, not only in Vietnam, but the second World Warand Korea," Gurule said. He said his two uncles, Rafael Ortiz and Eloy Gurule, died in World War II.

The Vietnam Veteran Honor Guard led Saturday's parade around the Plaza. The grand marshals were Bataan survivors Vicente Ojinaga and Benjamin E. Martinez. The parade endedat the Bataan Memorial, where Mayor David Coss and Gov. Bill Richardson both gave speeches in honor of all veterans.

"We need to support our veterans the way they supported us," Mayor Coss said of all veterans, including the 13,000 who live in Santa Fe County. "Wemust recognize their sacrifice and provide them with the benefits and the services they were promised on the day they signed up."

Gov. Richardson called on Santa Feans to remember the 150,000 veterans in New Mexico and led the crowd in a moment of silence for the 24 New Mexican soldiers who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Our nation sets aside this day to recognize the veterans of that war and for the other veterans that have worn a uniform. It's right to recognize and remember the veterans today and truly support those who serve now."

Gov. Richardson reminded the crowd that in 2005 he had approved $400,000 life insurance policies for National Guard troops on active duty. He said he is also seeking tax cuts for active duty military personnel and tax relief for retired members of the military.

One veteran, Allan Wheeler, held a sign reading, "Want war?

Next time you go."

"I'm kind of a realist," said Wheeler who was an Army medic stationed in Fort Sam Houston in Texas and Fort Mammoth in New Jersey during and after Vietnam. "I'm saying for the people who want war to go to war."

Wheeler's sign offended one veteran who confronted him during the ceremony saying, "This is a time to pay respect for those who have served, not to have some protest, even though I may agree with you."

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix asked the crowd to recognize and remember prisoners of war.

"Veterans are a unique group," he said. "We all share one thing; the pride we have for serving our country."