Natoma Hosts 12th Annual Veterans Day Salute
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109 and Natoma-Paradise-Waldo USD 399 cohosted the 12th Annual Veterans Day Salute on November 11 in Natoma.
The tribute honored veterans for their military service. Veterans representing the Korean and Vietnam Wars to active military were from Osborne, Rooks, Russell and Ellis Counties. The event featured special guests and students PreK-12th grades in presenting music selections from the Revolutionary War to modern composers.
The Every Hero Has a Story display featured veterans, families, and Gold Star and Blue Star families' personal stories, photographs and memorabilia of military service of men and women from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War to the present active military. Veterans joined junior high and high school students during a panel discussion with introductions by Laah Tucker with the American Legion Auxiliary and moderator Lara Kwarcinki, USD 399 government teacher.
The Veterans Day Musical Salute featured the Bagpipe March by Reverend Randy Gibbs on bagpipe with a Color Guard posting flags by Katelyn Lindsey and Seth Johnson. A medley was played by Shawna Dunlap. Pastor Michael Schmidt of Peace Lutheran Church gave the invocation. Kristi Mettlen was emcee for Superintendent Matt Pounds. Patriotic music with choreography was under the direction of music teacher Talley Hickman. Special guests included Kansas Representative Troy Waymaster, Vietnam veteran and key note speaker William Workman and Al Reif with American Legion Post 49. Laah Tucker introduced Shari Paget's student essay winners: Isabelle Cotterill for Patriot's Pen and Jeremy Bray for Voice of Democracy. Students presented greeting cards to each veteran. Red carnations were gifts from the Auxiliary and presented by the National Honor Society students. The program closed with Amazing Grace on bagpipe. All veterans were invited for lunch with the elementary students.
A Nex-Tech production of the event can be viewed at https://youtu.be/zF7NRUKnPog.
For more information, contact Shawna Dunlap, American Legion Auxiliary and USD 399, at 785-885-4478.
(Information and photos courtesy Laah Tucker, President, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 109.)
