A member of the White Salmon color guard places the nation’s flag and Washington state flag near the speakers podium to begin last Thursday morning’s Veterans Day assembly at Columbia High School.
A member of the White Salmon color guard places the nation’s flag and Washington state flag near the speakers podium to begin last Thursday morning’s Veterans Day assembly at Columbia High School.
In November 2010, after many years of hard work, U.S. Army veteran Jerry Smith and the White Salmon area’s American Legion Post, dedicated the “Walk of Honor” at the White Salmon Cemetery.
The “Walk of Honor” is a space in the cemetery made up of plaques and statues that represent the fallen military veterans who at some point in their lives called Klickitat County home. For many long time White Salmon residence it is inevitable to find names of folks they knew or are related, to listed on the walk.
In 2013, after careful planning by Columbia High School social studies teacher Steve Larsen, all CHS students went to visit the “Walk of Honor” as part of their observance of Veterans Day.
“It was a very powerful experience for me, for the other teachers and staff, and most importantly for the students,” said Larsen.
“After the effect that had on the students, I decided that we need to do this again. So, we decided that every four years, weather permit-ting, we need to take the students up there in observance of Veterans Day. We want every student, at least once in their high school career, to feel that same impact,” he added.
According to state law, “During the school week preceding the eleventh day of November of each year, there shall be presented in each common (public) school as defined in RCW 28A.150.020 educational activities suitable to the observance of Veterans’ Day. The responsibility for the preparation and presentation of the activities approximating at least sixty minutes total through-out the week shall be with the principal or head teacher of each school building and such program shall embrace topics tending to instill a loyalty and devotion to the institutions and laws of this state and nation. The superintendent of public instruction and each educational service district superintendent, by advice and suggestion, shall aid in the preparation of these activities if such aid be solicited.”
In simpler terms, by law, public schools need to hold assemblies or services in recognition of Veterans Day. So, when the weather took a turn for the wet and cold as it tends to do this time of year. Larsen and Coach John Hallead, who teaches Leadership at CHS, had to come up with a plan B. They moved the assembly to the gym and Larsen put together a video that would be played at the assembly following guest speaker Jerry Smith. The video would feature photos of the “Walk of Honor.”
“It won’t have the same effect as actually being there; my hope is that it will encourage students to go and visit the walk on their own or at the very least have them take time to think about veterans. One of the things I say to students about Veterans Day is that someday, some of their classmates may be veterans,” said Larsen.
The local color guard presented the state and nation’s flags, the CHS Band played the National Anthem as well as “a song of heritage” that had a very patriotic feel to it, before closing the assembly with two trumpeter playing taps.
The most interesting speech during the assembly however came from Dr. Chris Samuels, an Air Force veteran and physicians with NorthShore Medical Group. One of things many people struggle with on Veterans Day and really any holiday that holds special acknowledgements of the military, is the question of “how to truly honor a veteran.”
“It depends. It depends on your relationship to the veteran and your knowledge of how they feel about their service in the military,” said Samuels.
For many people, the simplest answer is to say, thank you.
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