(NewsNation) — A group of volunteers in Tallahassee, Florida is on a mission to make sure veterans are getting the honor they are due.

The valor team from Big Bend Hospice performs Valor Ceremonies for terminally ill veterans — bringing family and friends together to remember and reflect.

Derrick Sykes, Big Bend Hospice veteran liaison, said the idea for the hospice came about in 2012. There was an increasing number of veterans entering hospice care, and quite a few veterans weren’t properly thanked for their service and felt like they haven’t been recognized and appreciated.

The ceremonies held are filled with honor and tradition, and can be an opportunity to bring friends and family members together to thank their veterans and preserve their legacies.

“The family members get a huge energy, tick in from these ceremonies, and they really love it. Plus our Vietnam veterans, a lot of them were not celebrated, so to speak, when they returned from Vietnam. So quite a few of them have said they felt like this was their return home celebration,” Sykes said