We Stop To Thank Those That Served
Dr. Sidney Smith, who served with the U.S. Navy in WWII, enjoys breakfast at the Oskaloosa Hy-Vee Store on Wednesday.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – It was a day filled with a thankful spirit for those who have buttoned up the uniform in defense of our country.
Across the nation and in Oskaloosa, businesses and individuals expressed their thanks for service. At the Oskaloosa Hy-Vee, vets enjoyed a complimentary breakfast.
Clete Hjorth, Store Director for the Oskaloosa Hy-Vee, talked about the free veterans breakfast saying, “it’s just the least we can do. Our veterans have really sacrificed a lot for our country, for all of us.”
At the American Legion post in Oskaloosa, veterans, their spouses and family, along with members of the community, joined together to remember the sacrifices made by veterans during both war and peace time.
Retired Navy Senior Chief Fred Bridges led the ceremony at the American Legion Post on Wednesday. Bridges read a poem written by Andrea Brett. Brett describes in her poem the impact that veterans have in our communities, from the moment they enlist to the impact they make in our communities after their military service.
The service concluded with a 21-gun salute by the Honor Guard of the American Legion.
Lunch was then served to the veterans and their spouses by the ladies auxiliary.
In the afternoon, the OHS Student Council led an assembly to thank the veterans for their service and sacrifice for their country.
The drawing for the Freedom Rock quilt was held, and Jeremy Rouse was the winner.
Richard Grimes was the featured speaker at the assembly held at Oskaloosa High School. Grimes is a former teacher at Oskaloosa High School, broadcaster, and a member of many civic organizations.
Grimes, who says he enjoyed teaching history and social studies, read a poem he wrote about the sacrifice and triumph of veterans through the history of the United States. Grimes took listeners from the earliest days of the American Revolution, and the sacrifices made by those at Valley Forge, to the bloody battlefields of the Civil War, into the trenches of WWI and finishing with the War on Terror that has called American’s finest to serve for over a decade now.
After the assembly, the student council invited the veterans to the cafeteria for refreshments.
