For the vets: Area schools celebrate Veterans Day

By Jacob Brooks
The Daily News
Published/Last Modified on Friday, November 13, 2009 8:38 AM CST


Singing patriotic tunes and waving the red, white and blue, students at Byrd Avenue Elementary School held a Veterans Day Program Wednesday.

About a dozen veterans attended the one-hour ceremony and were treated to breakfast in the school’s cafeteria afterwards. Schools around the parish held similar events, treating veterans to free meals.

The keynote speaker at Byrd Avenue was Whit Gallaspy, a Bogalusa doctor and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard.

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Gallaspy, who has served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke about what Veterans Day programs like the one at Byrd Avenue mean to veterans.

He encouraged the young students to continue “working hard to keep America the most blessed nation in the universe.”

Students performed several songs during the program and organizers played a slideshow of veterans’ photographs.

Student Ashlyn Seal read a prayer for the continued safety of all veterans.

While such a prayer at a public school might not sit well with groups like the American Civil Liberties Union Principal Tonja Varnado said it was quite appropriate.

“I personally want to say thank you — because we have a right to pray,” she said to the veterans in the audience.

 

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    Reader Comments

    The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com.

    ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:28 AM:

    " Mrs. Varnado should no better than to speak out in such a manner about the 1st amendment. The amendment was designed to protect everyone from being forced to worship in a state run church or even worse no church. The ACLU is a great American watch dog that fights for the rights and freedoms of every American. I can assure you that if a law was passed banning religion from our country that the ACLU would fight to keep religion in our country. Everyone should have the right to worship and not worship in what ever manner they choose. Thank god that Thomas Jefferson adn many others udnerstood this concept and placed the Bill Of Rights in the Constitution. "

    ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:31 AM:

    " One other point that I would like to make concerning the statement made by a person in a position of authority. How can you punish a child for breaking a rule when you are breaking the law. What type of example or you setting for your students? "

    ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:33 AM:

    " Correction to my second post. The statement that is quoted by Mrs. Varnado does not say pray at school. I spoke out of turn. "

    Edmond Chandler wrote on Nov 13, 2009 1:44 PM:

    " as a veteran of the U. S. Army (1954 -1957), I am proud to have served my country in the military . I do not regret one day of service to AMERICA ... with all our faults, we are envied by the rest of the world!

    I encourage everybody to show appreciation for such a God-Blessed country and fly our colors!

    Thanks to ALL VETERANS, we are still a FREE NATION!

    GOD BLESS AMERICA! "

    RB wrote on Nov 16, 2009 1:46 PM:

    " AMEN! Mr. Chandler "

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Thank you for your comments!

Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com.

ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:28 AM:

" Mrs. Varnado should no better than to speak out in such a manner about the 1st amendment. The amendment was designed to protect everyone from being forced to worship in a state run church or even worse no church. The ACLU is a great American watch dog that fights for the rights and freedoms of every American. I can assure you that if a law was passed banning religion from our country that the ACLU would fight to keep religion in our country. Everyone should have the right to worship and not worship in what ever manner they choose. Thank god that Thomas Jefferson adn many others udnerstood this concept and placed the Bill Of Rights in the Constitution. "

ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:31 AM:

" One other point that I would like to make concerning the statement made by a person in a position of authority. How can you punish a child for breaking a rule when you are breaking the law. What type of example or you setting for your students? "

ACLU wrote on Nov 13, 2009 11:33 AM:

" Correction to my second post. The statement that is quoted by Mrs. Varnado does not say pray at school. I spoke out of turn. "

Edmond Chandler wrote on Nov 13, 2009 1:44 PM:

" as a veteran of the U. S. Army (1954 -1957), I am proud to have served my country in the military . I do not regret one day of service to AMERICA ... with all our faults, we are envied by the rest of the world!

I encourage everybody to show appreciation for such a God-Blessed country and fly our colors!

Thanks to ALL VETERANS, we are still a FREE NATION!

GOD BLESS AMERICA! "

RB wrote on Nov 16, 2009 1:46 PM:

" AMEN! Mr. Chandler "

Submit a Comment

We encourage your feedback and dialogue. All comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
(optional)
   

Multimedia


Northside Tech Middle School holds fundraiser at Sonic

From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, the faculty and staff of Northside Tech Middle School were “car-hopping” in exchange for tip money for the school. Student council members painted faces for $1. April Nobles, principal, said, “I think it was a truly unique event and I thank Sonic for giving us the opportunity. We raised over $700 in three hours! $220 of that money was raised from pie throwing.” Students were given the opportunity to throw a pie in the face of a staff member for $20.


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