Monroe College honored five veterans of Garifuna descent Saturday for their service. 

The Garifuna Veterans of America organization held its 4th annual awards ceremony. Organizers say they are very underrepresented and that there is no category for Garifuna veterans in the armed forces. 

"I feel like they haven't been acknowledged, so we want to make sure we have this platform for them," says Jocelyn Perry, of Garifuna Veterans of America. 

Organizers say many of the Garifuna veterans ancestors were exiled from St. Vincent Island in 1797, found home in Central America and then immigrated to New York.

They say about 502 Garifuna people have served in the armed forces since World War II.