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Just below and to the right of the main stage at Medford’s Veterans Day event late Sunday morning in Hawthorne Park sat a single empty table — set for one, with black fabric marking the intended occupant: POW-MIA. Even as the long tables decked in red, white and blue filled with generations of lunching veterans and their families, the little round table remained unoccupied. The glass on it stayed inverted, for the toasts that could not be made. The lemon slice and salt commemorating the bitterness and tears of family members lingered undisturbed on the plate. Kirby Rider, Iraq War veteran, American Legion Post commander and face of the multi-organizational event that day, said he wanted to make sure guests remembered who wasn’t in attendance while celebrating the service and survival of those who were. “That’s always been a big thing for me, is recognizing POWs and those missing in action,” Rider said. “It’s unfortunate, because I feel like a lot of times they get forgotten about.” Recognizing that which often goes unseen among veterans seemed to be a recurring theme at the Medford Veterans Day lunch, a pared-down but no less warm celebration of local men and women of the armed forces. After logistical issues prevented the usual Veterans Day parade from coming through, the American Legion of Medford took charge, along with other organizations including the Rogue Valley Military Order of the Purple Heart, Jackson County House Veterans Now and the Rogue Valley Detachment of the Marine Corps League. During the brief recognition ceremony before lunch began, Matt Havniear read a letter from U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who attended celebrations Sunday in Albany. Wyden’s letter focused heavily on the contributions of women in uniform. “While combat roles have only recently been officially opened to women, they have been making history in and alongside men in the military since the country’s beginning,” Havniear said, reading Wyden’s words to the more than 100 in the crowd. The letter noted recent milestones, including the first female Marine to lead an infantry platoon and the first enlisted female soldier to earn a Ranger Tab. Sara Smith, who served 14 years as a paralegal in the Air Force, said she appreciated the nods to contributions by females. “We’re like the unsung heroes,” she said. “But we’re out there as much as the guys.” Smith said she was surprised to learn that there are several thousand female veterans living in Jackson County, according to Ladies Are Veterans Also, a community launched a few months ago. She doesn’t meet other women veterans often, she said. But she said the community “really does a great job” at honoring veterans. Also woven throughout the event was a nod to another historic, international, accomplishment: the centennial of the end of World War I. Dale Roderick paid tribute through his attire, donning a uniform once worn by his friend’s grandfather who fought in the war, he said. The costume is not unfamiliar to him; Roderick participates in multiple living history events a year. He’s a Navy veteran who used to build explosives, he said, waggling his fingers to emphasize they’re all still there. He was joined shortly by John Hudick, who wore a mid-century Army uniform complete with an Eisenhower jacket. Hudick got his outfit on eBay. He served three overseas tours in eight years and was at Okinawa, he said. “Too young for Korea; too old for Vietnam,” he said. Veterans spanning generations chatted about their shared experiences over lunch provided by Big Daddy’s BBQ. Even though Smith sat alone as she ate, she said she felt the spirit of it all. “It’s just a warm camaraderie,” she said, “knowing we’ve all gone through something. Knowing we all took that oath.” Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay .