Hundreds lined the streets of downtown Dawsonville Friday afternoon to pay tribute to veterans of all ages.

Held on the 11th day of the 11th month in the 11th year, the seventh annual Veterans Day celebration began with a formal ceremony at Dawson County Middle School, followed by a parade.

As keynote speaker, Col. James "Lindy" Linder said Dawsonville reminded him of his hometown.

"There were about 400 people that lived there and they respected their veterans and so do you," he told those in attendance at the formal ceremony.

Designated as a 2011 Veterans Day Regional Site by the Veterans Day National Committee, Dawsonville is one of only two regional sites in Georgia to receive the recognition.

Sponsored by the Dawson County Veterans Affairs committee, in partnership with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, the formal ceremony also honors community members who are active in their support of veterans.

The group named Bob Couch, a longtime volunteer in the community and member of the Veterans Affairs committee who passed away earlier this year, 2011 Veteran of the Year.

His wife, Inez, and family were on hand to accept his Veteran of the Year Award.

The group also presented singer and musician Rafael Picklesimer with the annual American Spirit Award.

A member of the Veterans Alliance, a group of retired military personnel who participate in military funerals across northeast Georgia, Picklesimer dedicated the award to his fellow alliance volunteers.

For more coverage of the annual event, see the next edition of the Dawson Community News.