Community salutes region's soldiers
World War II veteran Bob Johnson salutes after a three-volley salute at the War Memorial Field Veteran’s Day ceremony. (Photo by CAMERON RASMUSSON)
SANDPOINT — Civilians and soldiers alike huddled together against the cold Thursday morning to stand in honor of America’s veterans.
The American Legion held a final ceremony at War Memorial Field honoring U.S. soldiers both living and deceased. Staffers of Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, presented Idaho American Legion Commander Bill Stevens with a Spirit of Freedom commendation and an American flag.
During his address to the audience, Stevens read a message from American Legion Commander Jimmie Foster, pointing out that about a quarter of homeless individuals in the U.S. are veterans and half that number served in Vietnam. Foster encouraged Americans to support programs that benefited past and current military members.
“When a congressman complains about the cost of a veteran program, remind him of the cost of being a veteran,” he said.
The ceremony was somewhat truncated due to cold weather. Stevens, who served in the Marine Corps, brushed off the chilly day with jokes.
“Marines are used to being called,” he said. “They call us the chosen few, but we called ourselves the frozen chosen.”
After Stevens’ speech, a rifle squad led by World War II veteran Bob Johnson honored their brothers-in-arms with a three-volley salute.
The ceremony at War Memorial Field capped off a week of veteran-honoring events, mostly centered at the schools throughout Bonner County.
On Wednesday, Farmin Stidwell Elementary hosted a large veteran’s ceremony complete with a choir of singing third-graders. They regaled the gathered veterans with both classic and contemporary patriotic numbers including “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “America, the Beautiful” and “Thank you, Soldiers”.
Another large event occurred Tuesday morning at Sandpoint High School.
The ceremonies echoed a national emphasis on supporting veterans with more than just words.
“We must be there to support not just the families of the fallen, but also the loved ones of those that still are deployed and those who return permanently changed by the wounds of war,” Foster said in his message. “While we’re happy to be here today to express our appreciation for our veterans, the true expression is expressed through deeds and not words.