- Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 November 2017 20:18
By Alice Harris
The Elizabeth Forward Middle School and Elizabeth community as a whole paid tribute to area veterans with an assembly for Veterans Day on November 10, 2017.
Lieutenant Commander Rick Elster LCDR, Retired welcomes everyone to the EFMS Veterans Day Program. |
Principal Dr. Trisha Martell welcomed everyone and opened the ceremonies with a post of colors by Blaine Hill VFW Post 7632 and American Legion Post 553 followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Star Spangled Banner, performed by the 7th and 8th grade symphonic band.
Lieutenant Commander Rick Elster LCRD, Retired introduced the honor and remembrance ceremonies performed by the veterans. Guest speaker Lieutenant Colonel Justin Riddle, Commander 1st Airlift Squadron, United States Air Forces spoke eloquently from his own experiences and encouraged students to embrace something worthy and noble and stay with it to be successful, even if there are odds and setbacks.
Veterans presented awards to Patriots Pen Essay winners Madelyn McClain, 1st Place; Alyssa Terza, 2nd Place; and Chloe Gallagher, 3rd Place.
The ceremony concluded with a Retreat of Colors and ‘Taps’ by Nicholas Snyder and Madison Claflin, and snare drums, performed by Roman Gardner and Calvin Terza. Veterans and guests were treated to refreshments in the iCreate studio following the program.