By JESSICA BROWN
Jessica Brown/Scott County Times
Air Force Colonel Joy Wood and husband Lieutenant Colonel Emory Wood enjoy the reception at WGS.
From young children to members of the Greatest Generation (1901-1927), celebrations took place all morning Monday in Winchester to commemorate Veterans’ Day.
Winchester High School’s National Honor Society hosted current and former members of the U.S. Military Armed Forces at Winchester Grade School for coffee and donuts before putting on an assembly in the school gym to honor their service.
The ceremony began with the placing of the flags, after which the veterans filed into the gym to sit front and center of the audience. After an address by members of the NHS, the Winchester High School Band played a medley of patriotic songs. WHS students Will Mason and Breanna Gregory performed a guitar version of the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all. The Winchester High School ASL class performed a version of the song “Proud To Be An American” along with both WGS kindergarten classes, who sang the lyrics. Veterans in the crowd were asked to stand to receive recognition from the audience.
A brief description of the morning’s speaker, retired Army Sergeant First Class Aaron McEvers was given. Sergeant McEvers is a 1993 graduate of Winchester High School and now lives in Texas with his family. He was introduced to the crowd at Monday’s ceremony and gave an address about what led up to his decision to join the Army and encouraged students to consider military service as an option in the future.
Jessica Brown/Scott County Times
Air Force member Richard Hembrough , Army Reserves Private First Class Ethan Hatcher and Army Reserves Private First Class Jackson Dahman perform the 21 Gun Salute.
After the assembly, the public was invited to another commemoration at Memorial Park in Winchester, where local members of the Winchester Post of the American Legion spoke about honoring veterans and their service to the military.
Sergeant McEvers delivered another speech, this time regarding the importance of helping military members transfer back into civilian life after exiting their roles in service. He said the number of active duty members of the armed forces are much less than in the past due to technological advances and this accounts for a decline in honorably discharged military members belonging to organizations like the American Legion, Amvets and the VFW. After finishing his speech, which focused on the importance of preserving the traditions and memories of war veterans, local members of the National Honor Guard performed the 21 Gun Salute following the playing of Taps by WHS Band member Will Hettinger.