The Crookston High School National Honor Society held its third annual Veterans Day Program on Wednesday in the Crookston High School gymnasium. Several local veterans were in attendance and introduced themselves to the students, staff, and community members gathered in the gym.
National Honor Society Advisor Andrea Adrian worked with the National Honor Society members for several months on this year’s program, which examined the timeline of America’s wars and the stories many people might not have known. Adrian was proud of the work the students did to honor our local veterans and share some historical facts with the community. “What we thought was a good idea was to do the timeline because we don’t really talk about the chronological order of things.,” she explained. “Sometimes we talk about a battle, but we don’t really put it in place of where it is in the order of history. So we wanted to just kind of bring attributes to that, and then we wanted like a fun fact or a different thing that you might not know about each war. So we had the little things about the carrier pigeons, and we had about the Navajo code speakers, and just things that maybe we don’t know enough about, and we can bring light to it and appreciate all that has been done for us.”
In addition to the speakers, the Crookston High School choir performed “The Star-Spangled Banner”, and the National Honor Society students created a table display to remember those soldiers who never returned home. Adrian thanked everyone involved for their hard work and looks forward to continuing to host the Veterans Day program. “I’m just so happy that everyone is willing to participate in this and show the veterans the respect that they deserve,” said Adrian. “I think Veterans Day is important for all those that are here and all those that cannot be here anymore. I’m so proud of our National Honor Society for being able to do this for three years in a row, and we’re going to continue doing it. So if you veterans hear us, please come next year. We’ll be here again.”
Following the program, the veterans and their guests were invited to a social in the commons, where refreshments and baked goods were served.
Jack Hanson is a four-year veteran of the United States Air Force, and he enjoyed the program. He is proud to see the students come up to thank him for his service, as well as to get together with other veterans in the community to catch up and share stories. “I try to come every year,” Hanson said. “My wife is the middle school art teacher here. I think the kids and the school do a great job. It’s nice to be recognized for the sacrifices that we’ve made. It’s good to reminisce, but a lot of the people I already know because I’m very active in the veteran community here in Crookston, with just about everybody at that table I’ve met before, so it’s fun to get together and talk to somebody you haven’t seen for a little while. And there’s a one gentleman I call him my favorite seabee. He’s a Navy seabee, and he’s tremendous. I think he’s fun.”
Bob Altringer, who is a 38-year veteran of the United States Army and Army National Guard, attends the program every year. He enjoyed the facts and stories shared by the students and is grateful for the recognition that veterans like himself receive from the Crookston community. “They’ve been doing an outstanding job,” he said. “I’ve been here for three years since they first started, and they just don’t give up. They just keep going, and the kids are really good. And then there are two or three other programs throughout the city that are really good that they put on for veterans. This community has always honored veterans in that way, but we can’t forget, it’s our families that took it too.”
Photos from Wednesday’s program are included below.
