Senator Scott Brown, local legends, Army recruits, and community members gathered at Wareham Crossing on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a common goal: to recognize heroes at the first-ever Braveheart Awards.

"People always come up to me and say 'thank you,' and 'I'm honored to meet you,' but I want to say to them, 'no, thank you,'" said Senator Brown, who was honored with one of the awards.  "I'm honored to be here, to meet you, and whether you're serving in your town or in Afghanistan or Iraq, thank you."

The awards honor "everyday heroes" who show courage and compassion and defy odds to make a difference.

In addition to Brown, recipients of the awards included Wareham residents Dick Porter, the curator of the Porter Thermometer Museum in Onset who is also known as "Thermometer Man," and Wareham Gatemen and Council-on-Aging volunteer Gardner "Gabby" McWilliams.

McWilliams said that he was honored to be among the first recipients and, before the ceremony, insisted that he wasn't nervous, just excited.

Master of Ceremony Michele McPhee, of 96.9 WTKK talk radio, described Porter's nomination letter from his wife Barbara (who accepted the award in her husband's honor, he is recovering from surgery) was a "love letter" that  "brought tears to [my] eyes."

Other recipients included New Bedford teacher and anti-gang advocate Walter Williams, Dylan DeSilva, the 17-year-old founder of Cape Cod Cares for Troops and, in a surprise, Middleboro resident Army Sgt. Michael Downing, who had retired from the Army but re-enlisted after September 11.  In September 2008, Downing lost both his legs from an IED while on duty in Afghanistan. This April, he came home from Walter Reed.

But he insisted that his accomplishments, and struggles, were nothing that any soldier wouldn't do.

"I didn't do anything special," he insisted.  "I just got caught, that's all."

In addition to honoring veteran service members, locals who have spent a lifetime doing service, and current service members, the event also recognized those who were about to begin their commitment to their country.

Over 20 new army recruits who were sworn-in to the service by Senator Brown.

Recruit Joseph White, from Marston Mills, had nine of his family members on hand to watch him take the oath of service.  He goes to Fort Leonard Wood (or Fort "Lost in the woods," as he said it was known) in Missouri this January to train as a combat engineer.

"We're very proud...and a little scared," his mom said after the ceremony.

US Army Captain James Paul, who was advising the new recruits, said the event was a special way to welcome the future servicemen and servicewomen into the Army.   He said he couldn't remember when he himself took the oath: "that was 17 years ago," he said.  "But they'll remember this."