Charles City observes Veterans Day at the middle school

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

Veterans were celebrated and thanked for their service Monday morning in a Veterans Day service held at the Charles City Middle School.

High school and middle school students and staff joined about 50 members of the community, including about 18 veterans, for the program.

Mayor Dean Andrews talked about veterans’ service and its effect on them and their families, and read a proclamation that ended by urging “all citizens to join in community programs and activities to pay tribute to the various military veterans, and to extend to our service men and women our heartfelt appreciation for their courageous services in the preservation of the heritage of freedom of our great nation.”

Andrews said, “We thank our veterans during this day … but we should also be thankful each and every day for their service and their sacrifice to maintain those freedoms which we continue to enjoy.”

Guest speaker was Maria Deike, the Floyd County Veterans Affairs director who served 10 years in the Army including in Iraq.

Deike gave an overview of the what the county Veterans Affairs office can do for veterans, and said medical care for veterans, VA pensions and service-connected claims payments bring $7.8 million a year into Floyd County.

She also talked about how the veterans population is changing.

“Almost half of our veterans population in Floyd County is Vietnam veterans,” she said. “Most of those veterans are in the age group where they are retiring.”

Nationally, she said, “the total veteran population is projected to decline from 20 million in 2017 to 13.6 million in 2037. About 2,000 Korean and World War II veterans are passing away each day nationally.”

Addressing the students, Deike said, “If you get a chance to sit down with your grandparents, your grandma or your grandpa, and talk about their time in service as a Korea or World War II veteran, and even Vietnam, certainly do so.

“There’s too many times even in our office where you might talk to a World War II individual and the next week you see their obituary in the paper,” she said. “It happens more and more and it’s heartbreaking, because you think, ‘I should have talked to them sooner.’ Do not make that mistake and have that regret.”

Pastor Jim Beranek of Trinity United Methodist Church gave the invocation and the closing reflection.

“Oh, God, help us as a grateful nation to never forget the sacrifice of those who have served in our military, and as a grateful nation help us to always be aware of the price that continues to be paid by many of them,” he said in the conclusion of the program.

Others taking part in the program included the Charles City FFA, American Legion Junior Auxiliary, the Rhymes With Orange Jazz Choir, and the high school symphonic band and high school concert choir.