LHS celebrates Veterans Day

by Seyi Arogundade and Jasmine Schmidt

During an LHS assembly in honor of Veterans Day Nov. 11, Captain Douglas Welch spoke to the entire student body. One important message he had was to treat veterans with respect and not blame soldiers for political wars. Welch shared that while honoring veterans and all military personnel, it is essential to remember that traditions of giving to and respecting those who served in war were not always the same as they are today. For example, during the Vietnam War, Welch said, soldiers were blamed, scrutinized and even physically hurt due to their service in said war. In visiting with LHS students after the assembly, many veterans who served in Vietnam regaled the hardships they faced as they reentered civilian life. One veteran described his resume being “thrown in the trash” once the employer saw that he had served. Others talked about “being spit on” or “not being acknowledged.” The annual LHS Veterans Day assembly is to honor those who put their lives on the line for the nation, and to thank them for their service and sacrifices.

Daniel Beyer served from September 1974 to 1994 in Korea, Germany and the United States. He served in the Army, specifically performing the duties of a peacetime soldier. His most memorable and enjoyable experience while on duty was touring east Berlin in uniform in 1976.

Randy Olson was in the Navy and Marines from 1969 to 1979. He worked with medics in the Navy. Olson said that that the way to move the country forward is to make the right decisions for the right reasons. His favorite memories from being on duty were the fish expenditures.

Daniel Beyer Don Erickson

Don Erickson spent 28 years serving in the Marine Corps. He traveled around the world, including boot camp in San Diego, fighter squad tours in Japan, Korea, Philippines, Norway, Spain and Italy. He said that he feels appreciated when people thank him for his service, and when people tell veterans that they’re worth it.

David Jacks

David Jacks took on many roles in the military, including serving in the National Guard, in combat engineer school, as a medic and as a cook. He started serving in 1964, served through Vietnam, and continued into 1993. The best experience he had while serving was working with the people, he said.

Randy Olson Marc Gomez

Marc Gomez was a Marine who decided to start serving to pay for college. He chose the Marines because he wanted to be “tough.” He traveled from California to Japan and Vietnam. Gomez asked that civilians respect the flag and honor the country to thank veterans. He advised that joining the military is a very personal decision.

Boyd Pederson

Boyd Pederson was in the Army and National Guard for Idaho during the Korean War. He served because he knew that he either had to join the guard or get drafted, he said. He personally didn’t face too many difficulties, although he remembered feeling homesick. He served for 41 years and said that it’s great to join the military.

Honoring those who served