News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Marine rescue swimmer Bruce Jaqua demonstrates gear with the assistance of eighth-grader Sidney Jacobson.
It has become a cherished tradition in Sisters: Each November, students in all local schools stage ceremonies in honor of Sisters Country military veterans.
The annual Veterans Day observances held last Thursday and Friday include food and fellowship, patriotic songs and service hymns - and an opportunity to reflect upon sacrifice. Not only the sacrifice of those who lay down their lives, those whom we honor on Memorial Day. Veterans Day offers appreciation for all those who have served in uniform, in all branches of the armed services.
Robert Sayers, commander of the Crook County Post of the American Legion, noted in his keynote speech at Sisters High School (SHS) that Veterans Day requires more of us than honoring veterans of long-ago conflicts.
There are thousands of veterans who are right now coming home from two long wars.
"It's up to you, it's up to all of us to make sure our veterans feel their service is appreciated," said Sayers, who served in the Navy and with the 7th Battalion 1st Marine Regiment in Iraq.
Ayers emphasized that support means concrete things: Ensuring proper care for those suffering from wounds and/or PTSD; providing employment opportunities for those who have served and are returning to a shaky economy.
And, Sayers said, "we must not forget the thousands of our best and brightest who are currently deployed around the world."
Some of those thousands are from our own hometown. The SHS ceremony included a slide show of Sisters graduates who have gone on to military service.
The Sisters Jazz Choir and the SHS band and choir provided their usual rousing renditions of patriotic songs in assemblies on Thursday afternoon and evening. A highlight of each ceremony was the singing of a medley of service hymns. As each service hymn was sung, members of that branch stood to be acknowledged by an appreciative audience.
On Friday, Sisters Elementary School and Sisters Middle School both hosted their own veterans acknowledgement events.
At the middle school, Navy veteran Bill Antilla described joining the Navy in 1968 during the ferment of the Vietnam War.
"It gave me the opportunity to stand up for something I believed in when others were sitting down," he said. "That's what patriotism means."
He said he is proud to continue to serve through the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapter in Sisters.
Bruce Jaqua provided a highlight of the middle school event.
He noted that "there are some really cool jobs in the military, and I was fortunate to have one of those."
Jaqua was a U.S. Marine Corps rescue swimmer, and he showed footage from his work in the South China Sea, describing the 120-mph winds from the rotor wash of a helicopter that blow spray into the face of rescuer and rescued alike. Then he demonstrated some of the equipment used in his work.
November 11 was originally designated as Armistice Day to mark the end of the First World War on November 11, 1918. The date was designated as Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all veterans of military service.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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