About 30 veterans of the First Infantry Division Artillery are in Junction City this week for their annual reunion.

This years reunion was organized by John Seitz, Junction City Military Affairs Council Director. He explained that his main focus for the reunion was to get the veterans involved with current First Infantry Division Soldiers.

“We had a great day yesterday (Wednesday) with soldiers. One on one conversations between young guys and old guys was terrific,” Seitz said.

The Veterans had lunch with some of the soldiers at Fort Riley Wednesday and had the opportunity to go through a mock battle scene.

Ira Whitaker, a veteran of the Vietnam War assigned to the First Infantry Division, compared this years reunion to a family reunion.

“You have all of your brothers there and all of the good stories, you remember all of the things you did together, it’s a good experience,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker said that one word came to mind when he got to talk with current soldiers at Fort Riley.

“In a word, Jealous. Their so bright and intelligent, you just wish you could be back there with them. I’m very gratified that all of the service men and women I see, they’re very clean cut, intelligent and it’s great to be able to visit with them.”

The veterans are back at Fort Riley Thursday to take a tour of the post and have lunch with soldiers of the 7th Artillery who was recently deployed to Africa.

The reunion will wrap up Friday night with a formal dinner at the Courtyard by Marriott Geary County Convention Center.