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Young Marines stand smartly at attention as Sandy Browne sings "The Star Spangled Banner" during the Veterans Day ceremony at the Prosser Veterans Memorial in Frazier Mountain Park.
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Helping Veterans for Trees plant a grove of honor at Cuddy Hall in Lake of the Woods for Veterans Day were (l-r) Dorothy Bummer, Ronda De La Cruz, Michelle Morian, Jan Steele, Jeri Johnson, Wilford Bummer, Frankie Sanchez, AJ Durocher,Andrew De La Cruz (Young Marine), Austin Belardes(Young Marine) Richard Sheffield, Sabine Belarde and Tammy Sheffield.![There were also tree-planting ceremonies at Frazier Mountain High School in an assembly which Jarudd and Reed Prosser attended. Above, students and veterans work together. [Anthony Saba photo special to The Mountain Enterprise]](https://mountainenterprise.com/fds/images/story/fs_9512_3.jpg)
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There were also tree-planting ceremonies at Frazier Mountain High School in an assembly which Jarudd and Reed Prosser attended. Above, students and veterans work together. [Anthony Saba photo special to The Mountain Enterprise]![The Rotary Club of Frazier Park and the Mountain Communities planted trees also. Above, Toby Breault and Mitch Wood (also of State Farm Insurance). [Lori Smith photo special to The Mountain Enterprise]](https://mountainenterprise.com/fds/images/story/fs_9512_4.jpg)
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The Rotary Club of Frazier Park and the Mountain Communities planted trees also. Above, Toby Breault and Mitch Wood (also of State Farm Insurance). [Lori Smith photo special to The Mountain Enterprise]
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The band YesterYear founded by Conrad and Bee Be Schwarm, with Mark Hollingsworth, gave a musical tribute to honor veterans.
By Sierra Kerr and Rain White, TeenBeat Team Interns
On the windy fall day of November 11, we went to the Brian ‘Cody’ Prosser Veterans’ Memorial in Frazier Mountain Park for the Veterans Day Ceremony. It started at 11 a.m. As they were taking their seats and standing in the background, we counted about 98 people there for the event; we learned 23 of them were veterans.
The Young Marines color guard Austin Westover, 13 and Drew Ludwig, 13 marched proudly with flag bearers Austin Belardes, 16 and Johnathan Warren, 14. The American flag flowed in chilly gusts of wind.
Sandy Browne sang “The Star Spangled Banner,” and then the group YesterYear made a musical tribute to the veterans from past conflicts and soldiers still in war today.
The first medley was a mix of “Louie, Louie,” “Wild Thing,”“Jolly Green Giant” and “Sloopy, Hang On.” The second was a mix of “La Bamba” and “Twist & Shout.”
The band members were Mark Hollingsworth with founders Conrad and Bee Be Schwarm. This is the band’s fourth year to make a Veterans Day tribute.
VFW post 9791’s Wilford L. Bummer asked people to step forward to speak. Don Tait told a story about almost being struck by bombs from an American B-26 in World War II shortly after D-Day. He said he made a belly-flop into a trench.
Richard Sheffield of Veterans for Trees said they want to plant a tree for every veteran. They have planted “groves of honor” near the Prosser Memorial in Frazier Mountain Park, at Frazier Mountain High School (planted just before Veterans Day this year) and he invited people to help plant trees at Cuddy Hall. He said there are 22.7 million veterans.
Mr. Vargas spoke about visiting with veterans at the Veterans Hospital. As reporters for TeenBeat Magazine (part of The New Mountain Pioneer), we also stepped up to talk about our thankfulness for our freedoms and about our worries as families of soldiers risking their lives in the war.
This wonderful memorial service was ended with a closing prayer shared by all the people on this cold, fall day.
It made us want to tell everybody: Hug a veteran, thank a service member, and remember, “God Bless America.”
–P. Hedlund added to this report
This is part of the November 18, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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