Veterans Day, 2012

Recognized on two days: Friday, 11/9 and Sunday, 1/11

I am married most happily to a soldier and have two soldier step-sons. I was asked by the Cubmaster to coordinate the Veterans Day Flag-Raising Ceremony at Lake Bluff Elementary School on the Friday before the weekend recognition this year. I had been asked once before, in 2008, at East School. I am Don Russ.

The script has not changed since 2008 except for the numbers. I update the numbers each year for the pack. There are seven numbers:

56 people from Lake Bluff served in World War One

213 people from Lake Bluff served in World War Two

25 people from Lake Bluff served in the Korean War

120 people from Lake Bluff served in the Vietnam War

1 person from Lake County, Illinois died in the Gulf War

9 people from Lake County, Illinois died in the Iraq War

9 people from Lake County, Illinois died in the Afghanistan War

Last year the number for the Afghanistan War was eight, but Gunners Mate First Class Dion Roberts of North Chicago died in Afghanistan seven weeks before our ceremony. He was buied in the Fort Sheridan Cemetery. His funeral procession rolled down Green Bay Road past LBES at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October First.

My Grandson is a Cub Scout and a Fifth-Grader. Kevin and I made up signs for the Wolves of Den One to carry and display as the seven numbers were announced. The Girls Scouts supplied half the readers. Here they are on Thursday morning:

Thursday morning was the rehearsal. For Pack administrative reasons, I was not able to arrange any Cub Scout readers before the morning of our rehearsal, so I had Kevin hold a big sign that collected nearly all of Pack 42 as they got off their morning busses. I got volunteers for the additional readers I needed and for the flag handling. I sent the rest on to class.

I told the sign-holders, the flag handlers, the Girl Scout readers and the Cub Scout readers what we were going to do the next day. And then we practiced. And then, at 8:25 a.m. they too went to class. A couple hours later, the email telling scouts to attend the practice would go out.

On Friday, Kevin and I again drove to school to arrive early. This time he was to hold an American flag at the driveway entrance to guide the four Marines who were driving independently to the school. This is a traditional use of the flag. Battlefields were always noisy and confused all through history until the communications technologies of the 20th Century. The very best warriors did not carry a weapon, they carried the flag. The rule was, “Follow the flag.”

One of them went out to give Kevin encouragement.

We had our practice a day earlier and an hour before the ceremony in the morning mist, the Marines had their practice.

Two senior NCOs, Tom and Juan and

and two Lance Corporals, Harold and Jordan.

The Girls Scouts had their sashes and

the Wolves had their signs.

Again the busses emptied, but this time the students would not go inside. 300 students waited behind a line I had taped onto the concrete.

The Marines waited just out of sight, around a corner.

I put my hands up and the crowd quieted a little, but not much. Principal Overman came out to me and said, "Watch this."

Then she shouted something and all the students shouted back something else, and sudedenly I had their full attention.

I said, "It will be Veterans Day soon. Do you know what a veteran is? They are soldiers and Marines, sailors, airmen and coasties. They have an important job. When the bad guys push in on us, they push the bad guys back out.

“Have you ever seen two soldiers salute each other? What does it mean when they do that? Well, it is a reminder that they are on the same team, fighting the bad guys.

“It started back when the biggest weapon anybody had was a sword. By showing that his right hand was open, he was showing that he was unarmed. He was saying, ‘I see that you are my friend. I will defend you. I know that you will defend me.’

“Did you know that there is a civilian salute? There is, and you do it every day. I’ll give you a hint…I pledge. That’s right – The Pledge of Allegiance. And isn’t that really saying the same thing?

“We hold our fingers real straight but instead of putting them at our heads, we place them over our hearts. Then we look straight at the flag and we say, ‘I see that you are my friend. I will defend you. I know that you will defend me.’

“We are going to do our flag ceremony now and when we do, we will be saluting the special way that we do when we wear our uniforms. All of you wearing civilian clothes are invited to join us with the civilian salute.”

And then I lowered the microphone and took a deep breath and shouted, “Scouts, assemble!” I continued to face the audience but I could hear a flurry of footsteps behind me.

I had placed small squares of duct tape on the concrete and numbered them from one to eleven. Right on cue, the readers ran from the wall of the school to their assigned square.

I turned and marched along the front edge of the student audience, then turned a right angle and walked to the first reader. I had told him not to start reading until I had walked away and stopped moving. Then he read, "The Marine Air Control Group 48 was created in 1967. They deployed during the Gulf War and the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. We are honored to have four Marines from that unit join us today to represent all the veterans who have kept us safe."

In addition to the several groups of scouts, I had a yeller at my side. The Marines started to march in. The yeller pointed to them and shouted, "Scouts, face our guests!" and then "Hand salute!"

At this point, we were supposed to take the flags to the flagpole, attach them to the rope and display them at the bottom of the pole. I had wanted the flags to be a backdrop to the readers through the readings and then to hoist them as a climax. But we didn't get it done and I didn't notice that we didn't.

The second reader: "Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day in honor of the armistice, or truce, that ended World War One — the most destructive war ever fought up to that time.

"The War began in Europe. At first the United States tried to stay out of the conflict, but in 1917, our country declared war on the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey. Almost two years after the US entered the war, they agreed to a truce.

"Representatives of the warring countries signed an armistice on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918."

The third reader, "What a joyous day! The whole world was glad when the guns stopped firing. But ten million soldiers had been killed. Twenty million had been wounded. Countless civilians had died of hunger and disease. Homes, businesses and farms were destroyed. In 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. A 1938 law made the day a federal holiday. Let us pause to honor the veterans of World War I, including 56 people from Lake Bluff."

A sign-holder with a big number 56 on his sign begins his walk down the line of readers.

The yeller at my side shouts, "Hand salute!"

All the scouts raise their right arms to their heads to make the two-finger scouting salute. The Marines joined us on their own command with a regular military salute. And all the students of Lake Bluff Elementary school placed their right hands over their hearts as a gesture of respect for the 56 people represented by the sign who lived in Lake Bluff and served in the Great War.

Yeller: "Two!"

This is my yeller.

Reader four, "It was hoped that World War I, then known as the Great War, would be the war to end all wars. Sadly, however, this was not to be, as more deadly destruction followed in the years ahead. In 1939, the Second World War began. More than sixteen million soldiers died before the fighting ended in 1945. Let us honor the veterans of World War II, including 213 people from Lake Bluff."

Yeller: "Hand salute!"

Yeller, "Two!"

Reader Five, "5 The Korean War began as an invasion of South Korea by North Korea and swiftly developed into a limited international war including the United States and 15 other nations. Over two million troops were killed, wounded or reported missing between 1950 and 1953. Let us honor the veterans of the Korean War, including 25 people from Lake Bluff."

The sign-holder for "25" marched out.

Yeller: "Hand salute!"

The sign-holder marched around the line of the readers, past the line of Marines, and stopped next to tehe previous sign-holder.

Yeller: "Two!"

About this time, I noticed that we had not positioned the flags at the bottom of the pole. The flag-bearers were still at the wall of the school with the other non-performing scouts, waiting to be called forward.

Reader six, "In 1954, President Eisenhower, who had been a great general of World War II, changed the name of Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day to honor all United States Veterans. Veteran’s Day honors the brave men and women who serve in the United States armed services -- the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Coast Guard. They protect our freedom by fighting for our country. Let us give thanks for our freedom."

Reacer seven, "Almost 3 million Americans fought in the Vietnam War. Between 1957 and 1975 about 58,000 American military personnel died in the longest war in which the United States has taken part. Let us honor the veterans of the Vietnam War, including 120 people from Lake Bluff."

Yeller, "Hand salute!"

Yeller, "Two!"

Reader eight, "The Persian Gulf War, sometimes called Operation Desert Storm, was fought in early 1991 between Iraq and a coalition of 39 countries organized by the United States and the United Nations. Deaths of coalition troops totaled only about 370 during the war, which lasted eight months. Let us honor the veterans who died in the Persian Gulf War, including one person from Lake County, Illinois."

Yeller: "Hand salute!"

and then after the sign-holder's walk,

Yeller: "Two!"

Reader nine, "American service men and women were sent in harm’s way again today to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4,470 US troops died in that war, including nine people from Lake County, Illinois.

Yeller: Hand salute!

The nine killed in Iraq are Lisk, Davis, Giaimo, Maher, Farmer, Moreno, Syverson, Morris and Singh.

The nine killed in Afghanistan are Dion Roberts of North Chicago, Robinson, Wade, Dimock, Weinger, Penich, Vasquez, Ochsner and Wells.

Reader ten, "American service men and women remain in harm’s way today in Afghanistan. 2,137 US troops have died in this war, including nine people from Lake County, Illinois. Let us honor all those who serve our country and pray for their safe return."

Yeller: "Hand salute!" and "Two!"

At this point, the microphone was to be handled to the last reader, Kevin. I indicated for him to wait and shouted, "Color Guard, prepare to advance the colors!"

The scouts ran to their mark. "Advance the colors!" They move to the base of the flagpole, attached the flags and displayed them. I indicated for Kevin to proceed.

"Our country has a 100% voluntary service military. This is because these people believe our freedoms, ideals, and way of life is worth defending and preserving for future generations.

"We have free movement about our country, we may all vote to elect our leaders, we believe in a land of laws, not kings or dictators, we believe everybody should have equal opportunities for justice and education. These are things we may take for granted, but they are not enjoyed by all peoples of the world.

"Hopefully all of us value the freedoms and type of democratic government all enjoy. Hopefully we all recognize and appreciate the service and sacrifice that these veterans have made for of us.

"On this day let us remember all those men and women, past and present who have served our country."