Gardnerville fifth-grade choir students, Elli Emm, Madison Persky, and Sienna Gabriel, sign “My Country Tis of Thee,” in American Sign Language during the Veteran’s Day assembly on Wednesday.
Photo by Sarah Drinkwine.
Gardnerville Elementary School students honored veterans during their Veterans Day Assembly on Wednesday through patriotic songs, tributes, and a story.
The story was “Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion,” by Jane Barclay, which teaches young children about war and remembrance.
In the book, a grandfather explains to his young grandson how he was as proud as a peacock in uniform, busy as a beaver on his Atlantic crossing, and as brave as a lion charging into battle, while the boy imagines different aspects of wartime, trying to understand.
Later, while the grandfather lays a wreath in memory of his lost friend, the boy imagines an elephant and whispers, “elephants never forget.” The grandfather replies, “then let’s be elephants.”
Like the story, the Gardnerville Elementary school’s Veteran’s Day assembly aims to teach children about war in a relatable way, while honoring those who have served.
Veterans Day was originally known as “Armistice Day” and was established by legislation on May 13, 1938, which officially made Nov. 11 a federal holiday in honor of veterans of World War I. In 1958, it was renamed to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.
According to the National Veterans of America website, the theme for this years’ veterans day is “A Legacy of Loyalty and Service.”
In honor of Veterans Day, Eastside Memorial Park placed flags for those at the park, which will remain until Tuesday. They will host Wreaths Across America on Dec. 14. visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NV0097p for more information.
The Carson Valley VFW Post No. 8585 and the Carson Valley Veterans are hosting an event 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Douglas County Community Center.
The Sierra Nevada Veterans Administration Executive Director Thomas Talamate will be the guest speaker.
There will be a PACT Act enrollment station (Recent Law expanding health care and benefits for exposure to burn pits, agent orange and other toxic substances), Veterans Benefits Mobile clinic, Q&A Session, and a sign up for veterans in need of support.
