Veterans Day in Schools

In 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month was when World War I ended.

The next year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that date to be Armistice Day to mark the occasion, and it became an annual event.

In the ’50s, it morphed into Veterans Day to honor everyone in America who’s put on a military uniform.

In many cases, schools were still open today.

Quite a few of them use the day as a teaching tool.

Bothwell Middle School in Marquette had never hosted a large–scale veterans day program before.

Students served breakfast to veterans from the Jacobetti Home and then attended a school-wide assembly with music and choral singing.

When the kids were asked if they have veterans in their families, most of them raised their hands.

And that surprised the veterans who attended.

Marvin Gibson served in both Korea and Vietnam, and he hopes the staff at Bothwell keep the event going next year.

Nothern Michigan University’s ROTC color guard took part in both the Bothwell event and the annual observance at the Jacobetti Home.

The morning was especially memorable for a new ROTC cadet who took his oath of allegiance to the military during the assembly.

Cadet Daniel Wulffe says he has very strong feelings about not only his own commitment but the fact that he took the oath today, since he has many other relatives who’ve served.

School officials are responding to Gibson’s request by saying they want the program to become an annual event.

And they don’t want people to think it’s only for Jacobetti residents to visit.

They say next year, they’ll want any area veterans who might want to talk with kids about their experiences to attend.