PRLHS unveils Armed Services Honor Wall

PRIEST RIVER — The Armed Services Honor Wall at Priest River Lamanna High School recognizes all graduates of the school who have “served their country with honor.”

Matt George, PRLHS vice principal and athletic director, read these words from a speech written by Principal Joe Kren, who was unable to attend the Veterans Day assembly last Wednesday. The purpose of the event was to dedicate the Honor Wall in the presence of current and former military, school staff, district officials, and the entire student body.

George said the wall would not have been possible without the PRLHS class of 2019 who raised the funds for the wall, last year’s leadership class who prepared the wall and began planning and creating the vision, this year’s leadership class who carried on that vision, Dustin Colombini who installed the lettering and plaques, and PRLHS science teacher Kim Colombini for her “commitment and love” of the students and the school in shepherding the project along.

“In keeping with tradition, today is a day of celebration,” George said, still reading Kren’s words. “We not only celebrate all those who have served, but as I mentioned a moment ago, the dedication of our new Honor Wall. However, if this display is to truly be an Honor Wall, then we must honor and celebrate those who have enlisted and answer the call of duty.”

That call of duty, he said, comes with a solemn oath taken by every person who enters the military. The oath reads, “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Military oaths have been around since ancient Roman times, George said, with many pledging loyalty to a specific officer for a specific campaign. Two years after the Constitution of the United States was signed, the first bill in the first session of the first Congress, on June 1, 1789, was passed into law. It was Statute 1, Chapter 1, and was titled “An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths.” This established the oath required by military officers to support the Constitution.

The oath underwent a number of variations over the next nearly 200 years, outlined by George as he continued to read Kren’s speech. Originally both officers and enlisted personnel took the same oath as required by Congress in April 1790. In 1862, the officer oath was separated from the enlisted oath, and the word “defend” was added to verify loyalty during the Civil War. On July 11, 1868, the Oath of Office was changed from “Bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America,” to “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” On Oct. 5 1962, the enlisted oath wording also changed to support the Constitution.

“The oath is more than a formality ... it provides the foundation of our military,” George said.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.