Area Veterans gathered together at the Willows in New RIchland to view the virtual 2021 NRHEG Veterans Day program. Pictured at the left table, beginning with Richard Chicos in the red shirt, from left are: Aldean Drager, Roger Holland, Dennis Dinneen, Dan Economy, Winston Evenson, Jack Pfeffer, Orville Bouldan (light blue shirt), and David Warke.
Seated at table two are, from the furthest left seat: Don Loken, Jeff Jessen (in the black cap), Pastor Scott Williams, Rick Crumb, Rich Crumb, Brian Verma, Paul Fornberg.
By TREVOR LENOR AND ASA JOHNSON
Panther Press
On Thursday, Nov. 11, NRHEG Schools honored area veterans with an event that was both very traditional and a new way of doing things. “Recording and sharing the program was a step we took to protect our community and our veterans,” explains secondary principal Dave Bunn. “We would rather have been able to honor their service and sacrifice in person, but risking everyone’s health was too high a price to pay.”
“People were thrilled to take part in the program,” comments Nancy Rudau, one of the organizers who planned the schedule and found volunteers to participate. “It’s clear that our community has very high regard for our veterans.”
The recording was made in the high school gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon and distributed via the internet to be viewed by members of the public at their leisure. Among those who took part were student council members, secondary choir members, Boy Scout Troop 7, Principal Bunn and district superintendent Mike Meihak.
With the video made and shared, students gathered in classrooms shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday to watch the program, discuss its significance, and then take part in “Project Gratitude,” a national initiative which invites people to write letters not only to veterans and deployed troops, but also to emergency responders and law enforcement workers.
NRHEG choral music instructor Krista Reeder was also among those who helped organize the program. Through a “self assessment” process she asked singers to follow, she learned that choir members “found a sense of honor and duty in performing for our veterans.”
After all, she observes, “We have the privilege of singing in a choir--which is just one of the freedoms of speech made possible by their sacrifice.”