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The Ringgold Middle School Veterans Day program this year aimed to pay tribute to the veterans of our Armed Forces in grand fashion, and did so in a remarkable way.

With over 90 veterans in attendance, the middle school choir and band, led by Mrs. Melanie Sandrock and Ms. Dawn Sechrist and aided by the school principals and a slew of volunteers, created a magnificent spectacle that truly honored the sacrifice that so many men and women have made to our country by serving in the Armed Forces.

After an address to the student body by Principal Alberta, Mr. Jon Bellamy, a retired English teacher, lead the entrance of the school’s honored guests, ushering in with him the beginning of the program. Veterans from multiple generations filed in and walked together down the aisles dressed in their finest military regalia as the audience stood to pay their respects.

Once everyone found their seats, an image of iconic comedian Red Skelton flashed to life on the stage and proceeded to tell a story, fusing it with a heartfelt description of the Pledge of Allegiance. From there, the audience was gifted with musical performances by both the choir and the band, various readings by students, a salute to the armed forces narrated by the Dean of Students, Mr. Ryan Shannon, and speeches given by Mr. Frank Magone and Mr. John Weaver. The program ended with the playing of 'Taps' and the retiring of the Armed Service flags and the American flag.

Veterans Day is an opportunity for the civilians of this country to thank those who have dedicated their lives to protecting the freedoms that we as Americans hold so dear. John Keegan said it best: “Soldiers, when committed to a task, can't compromise. It is unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it's been done.” Our veterans have molded their lives around this mentality; it is only right that we should meet their unrelenting devotion to our country with our unrelenting gratitude.

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