North Clarion School District Honors Area Veterans

Scott Shindledecker

Scott Shindledecker

Published November 12, 2017 5:30 am
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FRILLS CORNERS, Pa. (EYT) – North Clarion High School honored area veterans at its Veterans Day assembly that was held in the high school gymnasium and at the Veterans Memorial Park located between the high school and elementary buildings. The event was led by officers from Junior Historians.

Junior Historian officers also hosted a luncheon for veterans in the high school library prior to the assembly.

At the assembly, students from the elementary and high school sang patriotic songs and recited poems to honor the veterans.

North Clarion Junior Historians - Wall of Honor

(Junior Historian officers from left to right: Haley Bauer, Dalton Brown, Kera Cussins, Aubree Kerle, Avari Schwabenbauer, Gabrielle Schmader, Kiara Stitt, Cameron Schmader, Haley Sherman, and Megan Allio. The students are standing in front of the Wall of Honor that included pictures of living and deceased community veterans.)

Lt. Cody Lauer, a 2009 graduate of North Clarion and former member of the Junior Historians, was the keynote speaker. He is currently serving in the Army National Guard.

At the conclusion of the assembly, guests and students gathered outside at the North Clarion Veterans Park area for a special ceremony to honor deceased local veterans. A select ensemble from the high school chorus sang at the park.

North Clarion Veterans Memorial

The ceremony included the laying of a wreath by members of the VFW Post #2145, a gun salute and posting of colors presented by members of the American Legion, Post 66, and the playing of “Taps” by a North Clarion student.

The North Clarion Veterans Memorial was built and dedicated in 2001 under the direction of Terry Moore. Every aspect of the memorial serves a purpose to remind students of the brave men and women who have surrendered so much for those around them.

Located between the elementary and high school, the memorial park consists of a flagpole with the American flag flying high and representing America’s freedom. A bell is on one side and a black granite memorial inscribed “In honor of all men and women who served our country in war and peace” is on the other side.

A 40-foot diameter octagon paved with bricks surrounds it. Included in the more than 7,000 bricks are those containing the names of deceased veterans from the North Clarion area. Those bricks are arranged according to their respective eras and wars.

They represent every war from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stone logos representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion and four granite benches with patriotic quotes are also included.

Scattered throughout the memorial are engraved stones with the names of battlefields from which they were taken.

In 2005, artist in residence, Mr. Tom Rudd from Emlenton, helped students plan, design, and construct a sculpture for the park. The sculpture is embedded in a rock and contains two adults and a child. The adults represent the men and women serving in the military, while the child in the center represents the students of North Clarion who honor veterans each year.

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