SAN ANTONIO – Taps played in the background as Old Glory was carefully lowered and displayed at half staff in honor of the four Marines killed in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
"Having my brothers there made a big difference. Taps, the watching of the flag being lowered, it stirs the heart, the soul, the mind," veteran Daniel Butler said.
Veterans at VFW Post 76 in San Antonio stood in unity, firm in their support for justice.
Junior Vice Commander Robert Hernandez was in shock when he first heard that the suspected shooter, identified as 24-year-old Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, opened fire on a Naval reserve center and military recruiting center at around 9:45 Thursday morning.
"It really, really gets to us," said Hernandez.
Veteran Lawrence Werline said he had a range of emotions.
"Sadness, sadness for the families. Surprised, again, that it happened on our soil. A little bit of anger that these attacks are continuing," said Werline.
While they may be hundreds of miles away, these veterans said it doesn't matter that they've never met the victims of Thursday's shooting.
"We are all a brotherhood. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard," Butler said.