Ceremony honors those who served

SANDPOINT — "Thank you for those who have served — soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians — men and women who have served you by defending this country and loving their neighbors," said Chaplain Stan Norman as he and Chaplain Gerri Harvill led a prayer during Friday's Veterans Day memorial at War Memorial Field.

The prayer was followed by the Honor Guard ceremony, silence falling among the crowd as the rifles rose and fired once, twice, three times. Hands were raised in salute as Jerri Stevens, United States Army veteran and member of the Marine Corps League, began playing "Taps" on the bugle.

Stevens, a member of the Women's Army Corps from 1961 to 1963, later explained to the Daily Bee that "Taps" is the song played at military funerals, where it is traditional to have the Honor Guard ceremony as well.

"That's what used to put us to bed at night," she said about the song.

After the Honor Guard ceremony was complete, Bill Stevens, standing before the fallen veterans memorial at War Memorial Field, delivered a speech recognizing the men and women who have served and how their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of their families, have kept America safe and free.

"The American experience is unique because we have rarely experienced the enemy on our soil or at our gates," he said. "Our citizens do not live in fear of the atrocities of violent conflict, experienced daily by so many others around the world. And we have our military men and women to thank for that."

Bill also spoke about Pearl Harbor, which next month will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack by the Japanese. More than 2,400 people died and more than 1,100 were wounded in the attack. About half of the casualties occurred aboard the Arizona, Bill said.

The memorial at War Memorial Field displays the names of men who died in World War I and World War II. Marine Corps League member Ken Conger pointed to two names of men from the Sandpoint area who died aboard the Arizona in the attack — Harold Stockman, fire controlman third class in the U.S. Navy, and Frances Mostek, a private first class in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Also in attendance at the memorial was Bonner County's veterans service officer and retired U.S. Army brigadier general, Bryan Hult, who explained to the Daily Bee some of the history behind Veterans Day. Before it was Veterans Day, Nov. 11 was originally known as Armistice Day. Hult said the Armistice agreement, a truce between warring countries of World War I, was signed in 1918 in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

One year later, also in the 11th hour of the 11 day of the 11th month, two minutes of silence were held by proclamation of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, to commemorate Armistice Day.

"The first minute of silence was for those who had died, and the second minute was silence for those who were still living," Hult said.

It wasn't until 1938, Hult said, when Congress passed an act officially recognizing Armistice Day as a legal holiday — a day to honor all World War I veterans. Hult said In 1954, at the suggestion of World War II veteran Raymond Meeks, President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars, which by that time included World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

In 1968, Hult said, Congress changed Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October.

"They wanted to have a long weekend," Hult said. "It was seven years later, I think it was Gerald Ford who was president at that time, he said, 'no, it should be on Veterans Day, November 11.' So they changed it back and it's been that way ever since."