Veterans Day Celebration

About 25 representatives from the Ellendale and New Richland American Legion posts, along with many veterans who attended as individuals, were present for a 45-minute program at the NRHEG Secondary site in New Richland. Students in grades 4 through 12 attended, as did about 70 members of the general public.

 

Speaker for the event was NRHEG Senior Jacob Karl, who joined the U.S. Army Reserves and attended boot camp this past summer. He introduced himself as “Private Jacob Karl.”

 

Musical numbers during the ceremony included the national anthem, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “God Bless America,” “Thank You Soldiers,” “We Remember,” and “In Flanders Field.”

 

The band also played an “Armed Forces Salute” which included the anthems for each of the branches of the military. Veterans were invited to stand when the tune for the branch they served in was played.

 

Members of the high school ambassadors demonstrated the ceremonial folding of the flag. Students Logan Lewis and Winter Pederson gave readings.

 

Jacob Karl’s “Remarks on Veterans Day” are shared here:

 

“It’s an honor to stand here today–not just as a senior getting ready to graduate, but as someone who has chosen to serve our country. Veterans Day is a time to pause and remember that heroes aren’t always the people with medals or statues. Many of them are ordinary men and women–our grandparents, parents, teachers and neighbors–who stepped forward when their country needed them most.

 

“When I decided to enlist, I thought a lot about what ‘service’ really means. I thought a lot about what God wanted me to do. I kept coming back to how God wants me to serve him. Service is not about glory or recognition. It’s about duty. It’s about standing when it would be easier to stay seated. It’s about standing up and fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. Serving is about choosing something bigger than yourself. Every generation has faced such moments.

 

“In World War II, a young man named Desmond Doss refused to carry a weapon because of his faith, but he still ran into battle, rescuing 75 men from the cliffs of Okinawa in Japan.

In Korea, soldiers endured freezing temperatures at the Chosin Reservoir, so that freedom could hold its ground. In Vietnam, many came home to a divided nation, yet they carried on with courage and quiet strength. And in most recent years, our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have shown what it means to serve with resilience in a complex and changing world.

 

“These stories remind us that service takes many forms. Some fight on battlefields, others serve through leadership, medicine, or support, but all of them make sacrifices that protect the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

 

“As a student wearing the uniform, I think about those who came before me–the ones who didn’t hesitate to step forward when the call came. Their courage built the path that I and so many others will walk. Honoring them isn’t just about saying “thank you’; it’s also about living in a way that keeps their legacy alive.

 

“We honor the past to preserve the future. We study their stories not just to remember, but to learn–to keep our nation strong, compassionate, and united. Veterans Day is a reminder that freedom isn’t inherited automatically: It’s earned, protected, and passed on by people willing to serve.

 

“To every veteran here today, and to those who are no longer with us: Thank You. Your example lights the way for the next generation. As I prepare to begin my own journey, I hope to live up to that example with courage, humility and gratitude.

 

“May we never forget the cost of freedom, and may we always strive to be worthy of it.”