Gen. William Pagonis retired from the Army 14 years ago, but his vocabulary still is peppered with military terms.

He and his wife, Cheri, moved 30 times during his 29-year military career, the general, known as "Gus," told a crowd of 500 attending "A Tribute to Veterans" last week.

For the past several years, they have lived on a horse farm in Connoquenessing Township. "This will be our final 'tour,' " he said, using the word for a military assignment.

The Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania honored Gen. Pagonis as Veteran of the Year during a Nov. 1 program at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.

He said he was reluctant to accept the award until he realized he could do so on behalf of all the region's veterans. About 300,000 ex-servicemen and women live in and around Pittsburgh.

Mr. and Mrs. Pagonis have roots in southwestern Pennsylvania -- he grew up in Charleroi; she was raised on a farm in Indiana County.

Several other individuals and organizations were honored for their efforts on behalf of veterans at the Nov. 1 gala.

They included retired Army Sgt. Jeremy W. Feldbusch, who was blinded by injuries he suffered in Iraq. Sgt. Feldbusch, of Blairsville, Indiana County, served with the 3rd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Iraq. He and his mother, Charlene, have gone on to establish the Wounded Warrior Project to raise awareness about the needs of injured service members.

This year's program marked the 18th annual event. "It gives us a chance to take a break from everything we do on a daily basis and honor veterans," said Al Mercer, the new executive director of the leadership program.

The 25-year-old nonprofit agency was founded in 1982 by Vietnam veterans to provide job placement and training for ex-service members. That role has since expanded to include housing assistance and referral services.

The leadership program aided almost 2,200 veterans last year.

Mr. Mercer urged members of the audience to do more than honor veterans at special events like the one held in Oakland.

Pointing his index finger toward the sky, he asked everyone in the auditorium to copy his gesture. "Now I want you to promise to do one thing for veterans each day," he said. "Even if it is just to say 'thank you.' "

Sgt. Feldbusch pledged to help spread Mr. Mercer's one-a-day proposal across the country. A friend visiting from Louisiana to hunt and fish in Pennsylvania, will "take your idea back to Louisiana with him."

Gen. Pagonis retired as a three-star lieutenant general. Serving as the Army's head of logistics during the first Gulf War, also referred to as Desert Storm and Desert Shield, he was given the nickname "Einstein" by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.

During a recent conversation with his former commander, Gen. Pagonis said the talk turned to the possibility of a movie being made about the Gulf War.

Gen. Pagonis said he saw his role being played by Dustin Hoffman. He said his wife suggested Danny DeVito.

While the Army needs professional soldiers who make the military a career, it could not operate without its more numerous "citizen soldiers," he said. "They are the backbone of the military."

He could have been talking about Sgt. Feldbusch. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he joined the Army after college.

He was almost killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell that destroyed his right eye, damaged the nerve behind his left eye and became embedded in his brain. He spent months in military hospitals before returning home to Blairsville.

After he was injured, his mother quit her job to aid him with his recovery. His efforts as national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Program have kept them on the road. "We're almost never home," Sgt. Feldbusch said.

A lifelong sportsman and outdoorsman, he has continued to fish, ski and camp. He successfully lobbied the state Game Commission to enact regulations that allow blind people to hunt with the aid of a licensed, sighted partner.

His future plans include finishing Braille training and returning to school, where he hopes to earn a doctorate in psychology and work as a counselor.

Also honored was Stephen Dennison, a Vietnam War veteran who is department service officer of the Pittsburgh office of the American Legion. He received the John Heinz Community Advocate Award for his work to ensure that veterans understand and receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

The President's Unit Award went to the Pittsburgh-based 303rd Psychological Operations Company, which served in Iraq between April 2006 and April 2007. The 97-member company earned 14 Bronze Stars and nine Purple Hearts among its other honors.

The unit lost two of its soldiers in action, Sgt. Adam Knox and Sgt. Thomas Vandling.

Harrisburg's Hometown Heroes banner program won the civic achievement award. A joint effort between the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District and American Gold Star Mothers, the Hometown Heroes effort honors Pennsylvanians killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Between May and October, 128 banners are displayed throughout Harrisburg's business district, each printed with the name and photo of a service member killed since Sept. 11, 2001.