The sibling assignment I gave this week was to honor a veteran. Silver Valley Girl's is here and Raymond Pert's will be here.When I gave this assignment I had much different ideas of what I was going to write. That was before I attended our Veteran's Day program at school on Thursday. A senior student had a dream last spring. After she learned about Viet Nam in history class she said we needed a special way to say thank you to our veterans in our community. Her dream came true with a moving assembly that included a roll call of veterans, singing of patriotic songs, reading of original poems, a guest speaker from the community, and a moving slide show. I honor all veterans, but today I want to say thanks to the generations of veterans from Inchelium.
Our community has generations of men and women that have served our country in the armed services. As I looked at the faces of the veterans, widows, and family members that day I saw elders from the community that sent two or three sons to war. There was a father and three sons that served in Viet Nam together. The tears flowed as we remembered those that gave their lives for their country.
I had a student talk about the assembly earlier in the day. He knew he would get teary when he heard the music and watched the slide show. As I sat with my middle school students there were tears, hugs, and sobs are they honored those still alive and others that are gone.My tears came when we all stood and ended the program with the singing of "God Bless America". Although my dad didn't serve his country in the military, his brother Bill was killed in World War II and his brother Harry served our country. Dad loved " God Bless America" and as we stood side by side and sang the song I remembered another day more than ten years ago. When everyone filled the church in my hometown for the memorial service for my dad, we also stood side by side and sang " God Bless America" for him.
God Bless America
by Irving Berlin
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
by Irving Berlin
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America.
Land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies ,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home."
Thank you veterans. God Bless America.