North Plains Elementary music teacher Dr. Amanda Capote reached out to the staff of the Northern Sentry with an invitation to a Veteran’s Day program to be held on Friday, November 8th at 2:00 PM. I accepted the invitation on behalf of the Northern Sentry. Veteran’s Day has always been a special holiday for me, and this would give me an infusion of red, white & blue.
Friday the 8th of November was such a beautiful day. When I arrived on base I was thinking about how lucky we were to have one more day of perfect fall weather. Heck, any Veterans Day program would surely add to what would be almost a perfect Friday.
I was a couple of blocks away from North Plains when I noticed that there were cars lining the street on both sides. I wondered to myself what could be going on. Today is a family day on base. The first day of a 4-day weekend for many, culminating with Veteran’s Day on Monday the 11th. Turning the final corner would reveal the answer. People were parking and walking to North Plains for the Veterans Day program. Moms, Dads, families with strollers…there was going to be quite an audience for the program that these kids were about to put on. Parking was at a premium, but as we were all about to find out, the time and effort put forth to attend was well worth it.
Entering the front doors there was a feel of energy. I don’t know how many red, white & blue balloons had been put in place, but I can imagine it was indeed a herculin effort by the entire school. Standing and waiting for their que to enter the gymnasium was Minot Mayor Tom Ross and 5th Bomb Wing commander Col. Jesse Lamarand. A quick handshake and a greeting, and I was off to the gym. It was absolutely packed! On the stage 4th, 5th & 6th graders were sitting on risers. The rest of the classes found room on the floor in front of the stage, and parents and guests were part of the standing room only audience.
The well-orchestrated program (which I will cover in a separate story) came off without a hitch. I thought about the hours that must have been spent in producing a Veterans Day event like this.
And Then…
And then it struck me. I was thinking back to my grade school days. Yeah, I know, the pages in the book are a little yellow, but I can remember that our grade school classrooms would walk about 4-5 blocks to the high school gymnasium for the Veteran’s Day program. It was at 11 AM, sharp. I remember wondering how come all of those guys from my hometown were dressed up in military uniforms. They would bring in the flag and place it on stage. The high school band snare drum section gave them a roll as they walked in. The gymnasium was full, and we all stood in complete silence. Important people, because they were wearing suits, took their place on stage. We found out later that one of them would be speaking.
The band and choir performed patriotic songs like God Bless America and Battle Hymn of the Republic. Once again, it seemed so perfectly orchestrated. At the end of the program someone in the high school band did taps as the flag was being taken from the gymnasium. I remember looking up at the many adult audience members and noticing that many of them had tears in their eyes. What was said by the speaker brought a very somber feeling to those in attendance. “It was small town America, pausing to honor all of those who served, or were serving their country.” Those words are still burned in my memory.
Much has changed over the years. Veteran’s Day is now a federal holiday, and so there isn’t any school. The organization of Veteran’s Day events falls on just a few and the attendance at these events is getting smaller and smaller. Can you imagine if every grade school in American organized an event like North Plains. I, of course, have to be careful to provide an assumption that no other schools have programs like North Plains does. If there are others, then congratulations.
On my way out the assembly at North Plains I held the door for an elderly veteran. He was wearing his American Legion cap. He looked at this wife and said “That was pretty special. I hope they do it next year.” I couldn’t have said it any better.
On the invitation email we received, Dr. Amanda Capote, PhD, North Plains Elementary Music Teacher, pointed out that the kiddos worked very hard on the Veteran’s Day program. I say thank you to the folks and students at North Plains. What they did Friday was very special. It will be an event that the kids will remember forever…and yes, I hope they do it again next year.
Best Kept Secret
I offer a special invitation to everyone to attend the Brass Band of Minot Pipes, Brass & Christmas concert. Although most of the program is Christmas Music, or guest group is the Fin and Feather Bagpipe & Drum corps from Bismarck. Yesterday we had the opportunity to have them attend one of our practices. We joined them in Amazing Grace. This is a concert you won’t want to miss. Time? 4 PM on Sunday, November 17th; Place? Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of MSU; Cost? No Charge. A free-will offering will be taken.
Today’s Chuckle
An environmentally conscious boss is one who, when he rakes you over the coals, worries about his carbon footprint.
