Although the area played host to a handful of Veterans Day events – all with slight variations among them – there was one common thread: thank you.
From Johnsonville, Hemingway and Stuckey, veterans were honored by students, teachers and government officials on Friday, Nov. 11 to celebrate the service of local veterans.
The services began early Friday morning, with local schools helping servicemen and women start the day off right with a special Veterans Day breakfast ceremony at Johnsonville Middle School.
Johnsonville Middle School Principal Randy Willis said the event is not just important for the veterans, but for the children as well, as they are better able to grasp the level of sacrifice that has been given.
“I think for (the students), it gives them an opportunity to get to fellowship with (the veterans) and realize the sacrifice that these people have made,” Willis said. “It gives them the opportunity to do the things that they do. It gives them the opportunity to go to school, to be able to go to football games and just enjoy life.”
At Johnsonville Elementary School, veterans were presented with a special program from the students of the school.
The schools chorus group, the Sparkletones, presented original Veterans Day related songs, along with essays from students from the schools first through fourth grade classes.
Willis said he hopes the events of the day convey the thanks and appreciation they have for area veterans.
“I hope it makes them proud that we realize that they’re still important to us, because they are,” he said. “I know these kids coming in, they get an opportunity to sit down and eat with them and I know they enjoy that, but for them, it gives us an opportunity to say, ‘Thank you,’ to them.”
At Hemingway High School, the school’s JROTC and color guard presented the veterans present with a ceremonial flag raising and a rendition of the traditional military song, “Taps.”
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