Community, schools celebrate Veterans Day

Community, schools celebrate Veterans Day

By David Peck

A grateful community celebrated veterans and their service this week in the form of three programs on Veterans Day Monday and a veterans breakfast Saturday at the Lovell Fire Hall.

Robert Boyd Stewart American Legion Post 11 joined forces with the North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center to hold the annual Veterans Day program at the senior center Monday at noon, and the dining hall was packed to the gills for the event.

Post commander Rich Fink was the master of ceremonies, and he introduced three special guests. First to come forward was Lovell High School senior Jarrett Allen, who represented Post 11 and LHS at the Wyoming Boys’ State program in Laramie the second week of June. Allen thanked the Legion for their support and said he enjoyed the experience.

The next young person to be honored was Miss Wyoming High School Rodeo Queen Payton Bischoff, a contest sponsored, in part, by the American Legion. She, too, thanked the American Legion for their support, dressed in her rodeo queen finery.

Fink then introduced 2024 LHS graduate Riley Laffin, who competed successfully in the American Legion Oratory Contest, winning at the post, district and department levels to advance to the national competition in a talk about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

“These are great people,” Laffin said of Legionnaires, noting that it was amazing to advance from a very small contest venue to a huge stage at the national competition.

Laffin was also the keynote speaker for the program and spoke about his upbringing as the son of two combat veterans.

“I might look a little young to be speaking about Veterans Day, but as it turns out, I have some real-world experience with veterans,” he said. “It’s interesting having a federal holiday that causes me to reflect on my parents; it’s like they’re people and not just my parents. I suspect my upbringing was a little different than other kids. Most kids had a bedtime. We had ‘lights-out in 5.’ Most kids went to places – went the park or went to school.  We were always ‘and we’re moving in 5.’”

Laffin said veterans do much more than serve through the military. They serve their community in many other ways.

“For most veterans, their service to us did not end when they left the military,” Laffin said. “Many transitioned into civilian service jobs, or they continued serving our community in other ways – coaching kids sports, volunteering at the local shelters or simply just checking in on their neighbors. Yes, veterans have fought for us, but they also work for us, encourage us, establish community for us, vote for us and even pray for us. For most veterans, our nation’s call for them to serve is still heard every day in their hearts and minds, regardless of where they might be.  

Election years bring worry and fear to many people, Laffin said, from financial instability to physical instability, but veterans will always be around to serve and protect the people.

“The United States has been through many difficult and frightening times since its inception,” he said, “and our veterans have been with us through all of those times, even before the actual establishment of our nation. Veterans fought for our nation’s independence, continued serving us by helping to establish our Constitution and shared government and then continued to defend us every time a force would try to defeat us. So, if there was ever a time to look to those who have always been with us, who have always faithfully served and sacrifice for our nation, the time is now.

Laffin quoted Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Alvin York, who famously stated that liberty, freedom and democracy are not things people fight for once and then stop. Rather, York said, they are “prizes awarded only to those peoples who fight to win them, and then keep fighting eternally to hold them.”

In his conclusion, Laffin said, “Veterans aren’t with us just one day of the year. Veterans are here with us every day -- strengthening us, encouraging us, serving and sometimes fighting for us. While our message to veterans on Veterans Day is ‘thank you for your service,’ their message back to us has always been, ‘Have courage and hope.’”

Senior Center director Kim Gifford presented quilts of honor to three veterans: Ted Mickelson, LeRoy Collins and Bruce Dempster and said a fourth quilt had been presented to Ron Ferguson (see related biographies). She also introduced all veterans in attendance by name and branch of the military.

Mickelson said he was a product of great teachers and coaches at Lovell High School, and Collins said he was proud to serve for years in the color guard with his brothers in Post 11. Dempster said he was appreciative of being accepted into the great veterans in Post 11 who served the community for many years.

Fink thanked all of the members of the color guard and the quilters from the Senior Center who over the years have made 64 quilts of honor for the veterans.

Members of the LHS choir under the direction of Carissa French sang the National Anthem, Post 11 chaplain Jim Thomas gave a prayer and Dale Fowler and David Peck played Taps. Post 11 historian and North District Vice Commander Nicolle Laffin passed out poppies to honor veterans.

School programs

Rocky Mountain Middle/High School held a Veterans Day program Monday at the RMMHS Gym, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The guest speaker was Sergeant Major Cedric Phebus, who served in the Colorado Army National Guard and is the uncle of RMHS senior Hayden Wambeke.

Phebus gave the history of Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, then said there are some 17 million veterans in the United States, which is only 6.2 percent of the U.S. population. He added that, in the all-volunteer military, there are just 1.3 million members in the armed forces, 1 percent of the population, and that 1 percent protects the other 99 percent.

“I would bet that most of you know someone who is a vet,” Phebus said, “parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and family friends. Though many Americans know someone who has served, most do not understand what that service is truly like. Please take the time to talk with the veterans in your life. Get to know their experiences. Many have played a direct role in our nation’s history.”

He urged those in attendance to thank a veteran they encounter, noting, “A simple ‘thank you for your service’ is always appreciated. Many of the vets that I know get a little embarrassed or uncomfortable when someone thanks them. This is because they do not feel that their service deserves praise. ‘I just did my job’ is one of the humble responses that I often hear. Please let those in your life know that their service is appreciated and deserves thanks.”

Phebus gave his own history in the military and concluded: “For those considering military service, there are great benefits and opportunities to be earned. I have been all around the world, trained in 44 states and seven countries. Next week I am scheduled to train in Puerto Rico. The Army paid for my tech school, my wife’s bachelor’s in education and my bachelor’s in business management. I have made friends and built relationships that transcend time and distance. Further, I am on track to be fully retired before age 50.”

Lovell schools also held their annual program Monday at 9 a.m. at the LHS Johnny Winterholler Gym, using student and adult narrators Kendra Allen, Cutler Wilkerson, Isaac Sanders, Camden Blain, Haley Sanders, LHS principal Craig Lundberg, LMS counselor Lucas Grant, Kalayna Sanchez, Charlee Twitchell, teacher Bob Weber and Kyson Crosby.

Both school programs were musical in nature, with choirs and bands from multiple levels performing.