Members of the VFW color guard at the program included, from left, Lorena McArthur, Casey McArthur, Eric Gonzalez, Eldon Kuntzelman and Duane Todd. (Johnson Publications photo)
CCS fourth graders, from left, Taylor Maddux, Ali Reeves, Kate Colson and Evan O’Neil performed a skit called “Who is a Veteran?” at Monday’s program. (Johnson Publications photo)
The panel included Dwight Egle, Larry Hughes, John Osler and Howard Welsh. (Johnson Publications photos)
Students gather to thank local veterans
Students, staff and the public gathered at Chase County Schools Monday for the annual Veterans Day program, put on by the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter.
Instead of one keynote speaker, four local veterans made up a panel who answered questions about their time of service.
The panel included Dwight Egle, Larry Hughes, John Osler and Howard Welsh.
They recounted their time during training and their specific branches.
Egle served in the Navy and sailed on the USS Sullivan. He said he loved when they anchored and he got to look back out at the other ships. “It was a beautiful sight,” he said.
Hughes, also a member of the Navy, served on the USS Bellatrix.
Osler served in the U.S. Army. While he never saw overseas duty, Osler helped process the soldiers to return home.Osler feels he had it easy during his draft.
“I had two older brothers who were drafted and one was in a POW camp,” he said.
Welsh was in the U.S. Navy and spent part of his duty stationed at Sypan.
In addition to the panel, Voice of Democracy essay winner Jaret Peterson and Patriot’s Pen essay winner Morgan Peterson read their essays for the crowd.
Fourth graders Kate Colson, Taylor Maddux, Evan O’Neil and Ali Reeves performed a skit called “Who is a Veteran?”
The junior high and fourth grade choirs each sang a song, and Stephen Johnson and Delaney Krutsinger performed TAPS.