Year after year, the community gathers in the Larry C. Banks Memorial Gymnasium at Brown County High School to honor local heroes who have protected our country in war after war.
This year’s program fell on actual Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Choirs from the intermediate, junior high and high schools performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the high school’s wind ensemble performed “Ashokan Farewell” at the start of the program.
High school students carried banners representing each war or conflict as they led the veterans to their seats in the gymnasium, named in honor of Banks, a local United States Army veteran who was killed in Vietnam. A documentary about Banks also was shown during the program that was made by the high school’s History Club.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, and Rep. Chris May, R-Bedford, both spoke to the crowd.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6915 Commander Don Birden announced the top three winners for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests. High school senior Chloee Robison won the Voice of Democracy contest and read her essay to the crowd. Eighth-grader Clayton Austin won first place in the Patriot’s Pen competition.
The high school’s Rhapsody and Serenade show choirs performed “America the Beautiful.” The high school and junior high choirs performed “Armed Forces — The Pride of America” while the wind ensemble played, recognizing each branch of the military. Veterans stood up to applause when their branch’s official song was played.
High school history teacher Emily Lewellen spoke about her experience with “Memorializing the Fallen,” a professional development opportunity through the National History Day program. She researched and eulogized local World War I soldier Aaron Ray Griffin, who was buried in one of the WWI cemeteries the group would visit. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.
The keynote speaker for the day was Lt. Cmdr. Michael Lemmons, the executive officer and weapons program manager for Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane. He spoke about the War of 1812 and how the National Anthem was written during that time.
He also spoke directly to the students gathered in the gymnasium, asking them to raise their hands if they had ever been called lazy or told they have no work ethic. Almost all of the young hands went up in the air.
“They couldn’t be more wrong,” Lemmons said.
“Every generation thinks the next generation will ruin everything. … I’m telling you, there’s no better generation than the one I’m looking at now.”
Toward the end of the program, the high school’s jazz band performed “God Bless the USA,” with seniors Landon Hunter and Airiona Decker taking the solos.
The History Club also encouraged the crowd to donate to their Jeans for Brown County Vets fundraiser, which benefits the local VFW. Students were collecting donations as visitors left the gymnasium. Over the past three years, around $3,000 has been collected through the fundraiser.
In August, Indiana National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew St. John was killed during a military training accident in Texas. St. John attended Helmsburg Elementary School as a child, but later graduated from Martinsville High School in 2009. At the ceremony, Helmsburg Principal Kelli Bruner presented his widow, Ashton, and their two young children with a plaque in his honor. A plaque also will be placed at the school. Bruner was one of St. John’s teachers when he was a student there.
Ashton took a moment to speak to the crowd after receiving the plaque and a bouquet of flowers from the school district, as her children and family stood by.
“Hug everyone, love everyone and use kind words,” she said.
“You never know what tomorrow will bring.”
