BOSCAWEN – The hundreds who stood quietly on a sunny but chilly day for a Veterans Day ceremony at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery heard Arizona Sen. John McCain praise the "magnificent service" of the state's National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan.

McCain, a Republican presidential hopeful, opened his speech by asking Maj. Gen. Kenneth Clark, the state's adjutant general, to stand while the audience applauded to show appreciation for the efforts of the state's citizen soldiers.

"We will be inspired by them, just as we were inspired by those who went before us,'' said McCain, who added that the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan "has divided Americans but none of us is divided in our appreciation and our love and affection for those men and women in the military who are serving the cause of freedom.''

He spoke of how the Vietnam War divided the nation, noting that the current conflict in Iraq is similar in that it is "long and hard, frustrating and saddening.'' He said that even though he was held prisoner for six years by the North Vietnamese he felt "privileged to have served in the company of heroes who inspired me to do things I otherwise would not have been capable of.''

He said that fellow POW Mike Christian of Selma, Ala., used a bamboo needle and red and white thread to make an American flag from the scraps of their blue POW uniforms so that he and his fellow prisoners could recite the Pledge of Allegiance every night, an event that became the highlight of each day.

When the North Vietnamese captors discovered the flag, they took it away and beat Christian severely. McCain said that Christian that very night started making a new flag despite being beaten so badly that his eyes were nearly swollen shut.

McCain was singled out for praise by other speakers, including Sen. John E. Sununu, R-NH, who introduced him and said that McCain was one of those "who have placed the interest of the country above all others and the country is stronger for it.''

Gov. John Lynch said "John McCain is a great American hero who made extraordinary sacrifices for all of us," and Democrats Paul Hodes, second district congressman, and Carol Shea-Porter, first district congresswoman, also praised McCain.

Lynch said that he was proud of accomplishments at the state level on behalf of veterans, such as the expansion of the New Hampshire Soldiers Home. Also, legislation with bipartisan support is being prepared to remove the $25 surcharge for veteran license plates.

Hodes said that he was "proud to be in the company of so many heroes,'' and both he and Shea-Porter highlighted increases in the Department of Veterans Affairs budget that they have supported.

Shea-Porter said "as Americans we owe a debt to our veterans. We didn't do it right in Vietnam and should learn from that.''

Petty Officer Second Class Jessica Beall, honored for saving the life of a fellow serviceman in Fallujah, Iraq, said that she was not alone when she was fighting in the streets of that city two years ago and urged more unity in confronting the nation's enemies.

"Let's stop all of the political nonsense and stand and fight,'' she said.