By Allison Ipema
When the month of November arrives, our first thoughts typically involve the impending transition into winter, the current season of autumn, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas. All of these events are exciting and suggest that lengthy breaks from school are ahead. However, one holiday that is easily overlooked, especially by students, is Veterans Day. Despite being easily missed, Veterans Day is one of the most important holidays in America.
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, originated in 1918 when former President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the end of World War I. After the Korean War ended in 1954, a bill was signed by former president Dwight Eisenhower to change the name to Veterans Day to include those involved in World War II and the aforementioned Korean War. Today, this day is recognized as a federal holiday. We must not forget that this day pays homage to those who have fought to preserve our liberties.
On November 11, 2024, the student body of Delavan-Darien High School honored our veterans with an assembly to express gratitude for the sacrifices they have given us and our country. The assembly included an introduction by student council members Addison Stallings and Harlie Seuser as veterans performed the presentation of the colors. Afterward, Brandon Growsky gave a moving speech, providing insight into his experience in the military. The choir sang a lovely acapella version of Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner. The orchestra played Ashokan Farewell, with a mesmerizing solo by Vivienne Frenz. The band performed an instrumental version of the Armed Forces Medley while each veteran present stood to his or her respective branch. Finally, the assembly was concluded with the retiring of the colors.
Although Veterans Day is only one day out of the year, this does not mean that we should only take this single day to commemorate veterans. We should thank our veterans for their service each chance we get, whether it be inside of a grocery store, or after a school assembly.
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