Sisters High School honors veterans

Sisters High School hosted its eighth annual Veterans Celebration in the morning and again during evening on Thursday, November 9. The event honored veterans from all branches of the United States military.

After greeting all in attendance, student hostesses Lanie Milroy and Maclaren Gould asked everyone to rise for the "Pledge of Allegiance." The Sisters High School Jazz Choir then performed a special arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Principal Bob Macauley welcomed veterans on behalf of the Sisters School District and the community of Sisters and thanked those veterans who had taken time to meet and talk with Sisters High School students the day before.

Macauley related the history of Veterans Day and reflected on a book he read a year ago. Macauley said that in reading the book he was struck by the schedule of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II which was similar to that of many World War II and Korean veterans.

Macauley commented, "Eighteen months of training, a 12-day boat ride from New York over the Atlantic to England, eight more months of training and then one year of hand-to-hand fighting. … Students if I could have you think back to where you were three years ago and that would be the duration of time that these men and women were separated from their families in a noble cause with poor or low communication. Today communication is almost instantaneous; back then it could take six months to exchange letters."

Macauley impressed upon each person to recognize the sacrifices that those who fought for freedom in the past have made. He referred to veterans as giants and asked those veterans in attendance to "Please accept our heartfelt gratitude. We salute you for a job well done."

After the creed of each U.S. Military branch was read, featured speaker Rex Barber Jr. presented a commentary and video about his father Rex Barber. The senior Barber, flying a P-38 Lightning on April 18, 1943, is credited for shooting down Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese combined fleet, was the strategist behind the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Rex Barber, now deceased, was from Culver, Oregon. Rex Barber Jr. commented about his father and his father's team, "These were ordinary guys in extraordinary circumstances." For more information about Barber and the Yamamoto mission go to: http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/notable/notbarber.htm.

Time was then taken to recognize Sisters resident and veteran Lynn Johnston for the Veterans' Appreciation scholarship he created for Sisters High School graduating seniors (See related story, page 22). There was also a moment to remember the late Jack Berry, a World War II veteran, for his contribution to Sisters. Berry was a key figure in the creation of Sisters' annual Memorial Day remembrances.

The Sisters High School Concert Band directed by Jody Henderson - joined by five veterans - played John Phillip Souza's "Liberty Bell March" and highlights from the "Pearl Harbor" soundtrack.

Veteran guest artists were: Don Oliver, Sisters resident who served in the Army, on baritone horn; Tom Barber, a former Army military musician, on tuba; Mike Decker, who also served in the Army, on trombone; Sisters resident Tom Worcester on French horn; and Greg Byers, who played a solo in the Pearl Harbor soundtrack, on trumpet.

Each year the concert band invites veterans to join them for the school's Veterans Day celebration. Henderson commented that, depending upon schedules, some years as many as 12 veterans play with the band.

As the Sisters High School tribute to veterans came to a close, Jacob French, playing his acoustic guitar, inspired all with an unique arrangement of "Amazing Grace" and Justin Dean read his poem "One Day," reminding all to say thank you to veterans for all they have done while at the same time maintaining the hope that "One day freedom won't be won with guns."