Brainerd schools marked Veterans Day on Wednesday with a variety of programs to encourage youth to honor those who served the nation in the armed forces.
This year's program at Brainerd High School varied from the typical BHS Veterans Day celebration in that the school had two veterans speak to the crowd instead of one. The two both served during the Second World War: Harold Butterfield in the U.S. Navy and Ralph Yeager, the Army.
"I joined the Navy to help," Butterfield said, and he served as a mess cook on a submarine. He said the craft went through a number of bombardments, including dozens of depth charges, "but we managed to get out of the way."
Yeager told of his time in the vaunted 82nd Airborne Division, dropping into Sicily as a paratrooper taking part in the Allied invasion of the island. Also a mess worker, Yeager went on to take part in the Battle of the Bulge and was present for the liberation of a concentration camp.
Yeager directly addressed the young people in the audience when he emphasized they were the country's future leaders, and the task of protecting America would soon fall to them. There were still those out there who sought to deprive America of its freedoms, he said.
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After Yeager was done speaking, the students leapt to their feet to give him a standing ovation.
The ovation was later returned, when the veterans themselves stood in recognition after a joint BHS band and choir performance of "America the Beautiful."
Harrison Elementary
The theme of Harrison Elementary School's Veterans Day program tied into law enforcement, principal Cathy Nault said. Staff are trying to emphasize the message that police officers are friends, so the school invited three police officers, who are also veterans, to attend the program.
"We're trying to give them an appreciation for what veterans have done," Nault said. "We want to instill that in them at this early age."
Students, many dressed in either red, white or blue, were joined by parents and community members for the patriotic program. Second graders made hats out of red, white and blue construction paper to commemorate the occasion. Nault wore an American flag scarf with a red coat for the special day.
"God Bless the USA," by Lee Greenwood, played softly over the speakers as students gathered in the school gymnasium for the program. To kick things off, Nault asked the dozen or so veterans in the gym to stand up, and greeted them with "big Harrison applause."
As the color guard presented the flags, Nault asked the students, "When you see a flag where does your hand go?"
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"On your heart," the students responded.
A group of students sang the song "Fifty Nifty United States," which talks about the 50 states coming from 13 original colonies. The lyrics also feature an alphabetical recitation of the 50 states, which the students sang.
The entire student body sang through "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," and were joined by some community members. The students watched a video on Project America Run, where a man ran from International Falls to Galveston, Texas, planting a small flag each mile along the way. Each flag represented a service member who died in Afghanistan.
"Whenever you see a flag, put a hand over your heart," Nault told the students.
Lowell Carlson, a member of the Marine Corps Reserves, read a story about a teaching moment at a school from September of 2005. On the first day of school, Carlson said, a teacher took all the desks out of his high school classroom.
He told the students they couldn't have their desks until they earned them. Throughout the day, different classes couldn't figure out how to earn their desks.
Finally, at the end of the school day, 27 veterans walked into the classroom, each carrying a desk.
"You don't have to earn your desks," Carlson read. "They did it for you."
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ZACH KAYSER may be reached at 218-855-5860 or Zach.Kayser@brainerddispatch.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZWKayser .
SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett .
