BATON ROUGE,LA (NBC33) — Veterans in Baton Rouge got a chance to see a free safari at the BREC Baton Rouge Zoo.

The heros hung out with family while the animals put on a show for their special guests.

Admission was free for vets. They say it was a great way to spend the holiday and honor others who served.

"I just got back from Afghanistan in July," said veteran Martin Gehling,"So, it's been pretty recent. For me to come out here and actually have a place to spend time with the kids is really special."

Veterans also got a chance to have a special bald eagle chat with zoo staff to learn about the beautiful birds.