Turner Honors Its Veterans

Because Turner Public Schools operates on a four-day week, the Big Flat community celebrated Veterans Day on November 10 with a school assembly at 10:00 a.m. The event included a video presentation as well as songs, recitations, and speeches by students. It ended with the veterans in attendance forming a receiving line so that community members could express their gratitude for the veterans' service.

To open the ceremony, a group of veterans presented the colors, and nine first and second graders sang the National Anthem. Their singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" was followed by a moment of silence for the veterans who no longer walk among us. Student Body President, Charlie Calvert then read a history of Armistice Day and how it came to be called Veterans Day. "November eleventh became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day," Calvert told those gathered.

In subsequent program events, a video transcript included words spoken by Ronald Reagan in commemoration of our veterans: "Those who say there are no heroes don't know where to look."

Another key message from Reagan came in his description of the will and moral courage of United States' soldiers, calling that patriotism "a weapon in [the country's] arsenal" as they fight to secure our freedoms: "As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, [but] we will not surrender for it – now or ever."

After hearing Reagan's words, the crowd listened to the third and fourth graders recite a poem by Joanna Fuchs entitled "The Best on Earth: A Veteran's Day Tribute." Speeches by the school's winners of the Patriot's Pen and the Veterans of Foreign Wars' (VFW) Voice of Democracy contests ensued.

This phase of the assembly began with Jake Brown and Holly Grabofsky-two eighth graders-reading their Patriot's Pen contest essays. In "My Message to America," Brown directly addressed America: "America, my gripes don't end there. You under pay your soldiers to a point of unfairness." From her essay, "My Pledge to Our Veterans," Grabofsky read: "War wraps its cold fingers around every soldier, and often it refuses to ease its grip."

At the high school level, Bridget Reed, a freshman, and Meridian Snider, a sophomore shared their thoughts. One audience member called Reed's words uplifting after she said, "Veterans are essential to American culture. They selflessly made sacrifices to benefit our country." Next, Snider shared her sentiments: "Although many soldiers walk an endless black corridor, with nothing but emptiness to hear, most simply want to come home to a family and a country that will take care of them when they need it and give them the appreciation and honor they deserve."

Finally, fifth and sixth graders presented a medley of the official military service songs and hymns. "Anchors Aweigh" for the U.S. Navy, "The Army Goes Rolling Along" for the Army, "The Wild Blue Yonder" for the Air Force, "The Marines' Hymn" for the Marine Corps, and "Semper Paratus" for the Coast Guard.

As the audience prepared for departure, Steve Humphreys, a member of American Legion Post 109, stood and unrolled a POW/MIA flag. As described by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the flag, with its black and white image of a gaunt silhouette, a strand of barbed wire, and an ominous watchtower has come to represent American service members held captive under harsh conditions. The imagery is intended to have an impact on the national conscience.

Humphreys explained: "Other than 'the stars and bars,' the POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House. Even though some people think this flag is just about Vietnam, it's not. This national flag is a reminder to every American that many service members were never accounted for. It serves as a symbol of our Nation's commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner or missing as a result of any war."

The program, which was organized by Fifth and Sixth Grade Teacher, Elissa Zellmer, closed with the veterans forming a receiving line so that the community members could express their gratitude for the veterans' service. Two of the school's teachers stood among the veterans: Science Teacher, Mrs. Amy Egbert and History, Physical Education, and Economics Instructor, Mr. Travis Garrett.