1
Final 2015
11/9
(Laptop with looping flag as students enter)
Assembly Starts: 8:10
Ready Video slide show: ______________________ runs projector.
Equipment
Laptop & Projector Long extension cord to projector cart
Spotlight with Lights to be able to see
2 Lecterns
2 Corded microphones & wireless microphone system
Wireless speakers charged
Band director microphone
Gym layout.
2 rows of chairs behind and to right of lecterns
Microphone stands (3)
Wires for Wired mics
Screen & Remote for screen
Spotlight Operation: Trenten
Computer & projector operators: Liam
Lights & switches ________?______________
Sound, microphones
3/4 Host/Hostesses welcome/Talk/bring Vets to gym __________________________________
4 Buttoneer pinning Dorothy,
Georgia starts with wireless microphone.
Give it to Mrs Walker or Keep it depending on who will start.
Students enter to Flag loop.
Introduction Admin: Mrs Walker short speech
Transition: “Without further ado, let me turn this over to our first MC, Georgia
Introduction: MC: Georgia
“Hello and welcome to the Post Middle School 2015 Veterans Day Assembly.
Before we get started Mr. Foster has an announcement about the food drive.”
Mr. Foster goes over the Food Drive. Gives back microphone to Georgia when finished
(Time 1:00)
Thank you, Georgia.
Good morning Everyone,
This Friday is the start of the Post Middle School Food Drive.
Food and money will be collected from 1st period classes.
Last year we loaded the stage with food and sent a check for nearly $2,000 to the food bank! It was
amazing.
Those of us that have had to use the Food Bank really understand and appreciate what it means when
people help out, and Post Middle School always does amazing things for those in need.
Will there be competitions? Maybe some friendly ones, but at Post we always keep our focus on what
really matters: We do it because there are people that need our help. Our work will make the holiday
season better for many of the families in our community, that’s a pretty awesome gift to give.
I really look forward to seeing just how much we can collect.
Thanks everybody, I know you’ll do great.
MC: Georgia
“Thank you Mr. Foster,”
MC: Georgia
“As you know, the United States celebrates Veterans Day this Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Todayʼs assembly is all about our Veterans. We are very honored to have some
veterans in the audience. We will recognize their service later in the assembly.
Now letʼs begin...
**“Please Rise Quietly and keep a respectful silence as Emma-Lee, Hailey and Keara sing our
National Anthem”
Projector: Start Flag loop Video again
O Spotlight on singers
Sing Star Spangled Banner
Back to MC wait until they are back to seats
“Thank you, Ladies”
Projector Flag stops looping
Go to first slide of WWI slide Show
Introduce Reading:
Reading Lauryn E
“Veteranʼs Day has roots 97 years old and because it is so far in the past, people
often donʼt know where it comes from---or why we celebrate it. It was created to
celebrate the ending of World War 1 on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the
11th month. People thought that it was the “War to end all Wars”, but sadly it didnʼt
work out that way. The following presentation is a brief history of Veterans Day.
Students at 1 lecterns with row of chairs beside with waiting students
Veterans Day Reading
Slide Show
Slide #1 Veterans Day
Reader: ____Tailer
Slide #2
It was 1918 and on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,
the World War came to an end.
Slide #3
It was a bloody war.
Young men signed up to fight certain that they would be home by Christmas. A
few months, a few battles, a few lives. Glory was in the air.
Slide #4
But times had changed and were changing.
Slide #5
Horses, swords and armor ran headlong into artillery and machine guns.
The slaughter was horrific.
Slide #6
Explosive shells pounded the fields and towns; turning the ground into churned
mud.
Slide #7
Poison gas drifted across battlefields, burning and killing men as they huddled in
trenches and waited for the next attack.
Slide #8
Some were mere children. Called up to serve as the steady stream of soldiers
began to fall in the frozen fields. They fought and died. Death doesn’t always
respect the dreams of youth.
Reader: Nikki
And so, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the World
War came to an end.
And in the muddy trenches and on the barren battlefields, the poppies grew.
Slide #9
Now, there is an interesting thing about poppies.
They donʼt grow well next to other plants. The poppy seeds can lay dormant,
asleep for years until the soil has been churned and cleared of plants. So in the
battlefields, where the ground was shelled and torn and barren. Where the blood
of thousands softened the soil. Fields and fields of poppies bloomed.
Deep red in the sunrise.
A soldier John McCrae, wrote the most famous poem of the war
He died in the war, but his poem made red poppies a symbol to help remember
veterans.
The poem tells about a battle where thousands died.
After the battle millions of red poppies grew and bloomed.
Slide #10
Here are two verses from the poem:
Poem read by: Ulani
Pause for a bit when you get up there!
Read the title, then pause and start the poem.
In Flanders Field by John McCray
In Flanders fields the poppies blow (1)
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Reader: Bailey
And so, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,
the World War came to an end.
And in the muddy trenches and on the barren battlefields, the poppies grew.
Truly, everyone thought, this could never happen again. -And so a day was set aside to remember the “War to end all Wars.
It was called Remembrance Day in some countries.
Here in the United States we called it Armistice Day. (Arm--isss---tisss)
The names were different,
but the purpose was the same:
to remember those who fought,
and those who died,
those who gave all that they had.
Those that are now only a memory,
only faded pictures
in forgotten scrapbooks.
Slide #11
Reader: Darby
Sadly, It wasnʼt the War to end all Wars.
Slide #12
World War 2
Korea
Vietnam
The Gulf War
Afghanistan
Iraq
And the day changed
from a faded memory of the first world war, to a day that honors those who serve
and served.
(Pause) From Armistice (R-Miss-Tiss) Day to Veterans Day.
Arrow key causes a fade
Slide show ends
Pause and wait til back to seats, Lights go up
MC/Reader: ______________________
Many wars have followed World War 1:
World War 2
Korea
Vietnam
The Gulf War
Afghanistan
Iraq
And always, in every war, the Soldiers were there to do their duty.
And families were waiting, waiting to welcome them home. Trying to find a way to show their
gratitude, love and respect.
(Pause) Intro Mr. P and Mr. O Here.
Please direct your attention to the back of the gym for a special performance
by Mr. Preisinger and our 8th Grade Band, under the direction of Mr. Otterness
MC/Reader: Georgia
After Performance: Wait for Applause.
Thank you Mr. Otterness, Mr. Preisinger and the Band
(Slide of Letters On Screen)
____________Switch Speakers_____________
Now use 2 lecterns
Lectern by the students is the changing speaker one. The other for
Readers of the information.
(Go to different Lectern One for the War Info/One for the letter)
Reading: Georgia
A Famous Poet once wrote: “There is properly no history; only biography.”
Who better to tell the story of Veterans Day than those that lived & live it: our
United States Veterans? The following letters were written by different soldiers
from different wars. A description of a war will be read first, followed by a
reading of a letter or email from a soldier that fought in that war.
Slide show starts
Slide stays up until end of reading
World War 2 ______________________,
Reading: Lauren Eckley (one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
World War 2Dates: 1941-1945
American Casualties:Dead/Wounded 1,076,245 Missing: 30,314
Reader: Victoria
The twenty-eighth [mission]was on Berlin, and I was scared darn near to death. It
was getting close to the end and my luck was bound to be running out faster and
faster. The raid wasn't too bad, though, and we got back safe. The twenty-ninth
mission was to Thionville, in France, and all I thought about on that mission was
'One more, one more, one more.' My last mission was to Saarbriicken. One of the
waist gunners was new, a young kid like the kid I'd been six months before. He
wasn't a bit scared - just cocky and excited. Over Saarbriicken he was wounded
in the foot by a shell, and I had to give him first aid. He acted more surprised than
hurt. He had a look on his face like a child who's been cheated by grownups.
That was only the beginning for him, but it was the end for me."
Joseph Hallock, August 12, 1941
Korea
Reading: Samantha (one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
Korean War Dates: 1950–1953
American Casualties: Dead or Wounded: 33,686
Missing: 8,176
Reader: Destiny M
" The question on the lips of the G.I. over here is, " What are we fighting for? "
This is no 'police job' as Mr. Truman says. It is a real war, but not the kind most
people at home can realize. We are fighting men who can live for a week in the
mountains with just a little bag of rice. Where we have to travel by road they
travel over the mountains and beat us to where we are going. We attacked and
took a small town the other day with no opposition at all.
Then, just before daylight, a couple days later, they hit us with everything they
had, and we were forced to withdraw for about eight miles with heavy casualties.
About half the members of our battalion have been killed or wounded. Among the
latter is our battalion commander and six other officers including my section
leader.......
" Well, we withdrew again last night for about 10 miles and again the enemy
knew we were moving, because they shelled the road. It's an old saying here on
the lines that if you kill one Korean Soldier, there are 10 more to takes his place.......In
closing all I can say is this: give us reinforcements, or pull out what is left of us--which isn't many. "
Private James J. Lutze, Korea 1951
Vietnam
Reading: Emma K. (one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
Vietnam
Dates: 1964-1975
American Casualties: Dead or Wounded: 211,454
Missing: 2,489
Reader: Breanna
September 11, 1969
“Dear Mom and Dad,
Getting short, Mom, coming home pretty soon. Going to quit flying soon, too
much for me now. I went in front of a board for sp/5 will know soon if i made it. I
have now 20 oak leaf clusters and some more paper for you. I have flown 1500
hours now, and in those hours I could tell you a lifetime story. I have been put in
for a medal again, but this time I have seen far beyond of what ever you will see.
That is why I'm going to quit flying. I dream of Valerie's hand touching mine telling
me to come home; but I wake up, and it's some sergeant telling me I have to fly.
Today I am 21, far away but coming home older.
Love, Larry”
Stop, Pause and then…..
“Larry Jackson died within 24 hours after this letter was written; and by that time,
it really was his 21st birthday in the States.”
Gulf War
Reading: Kaiya (one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
Gulf War Dates: 1990-1991
American Casualties: Dead or Wounded: 1,231
Reader: Julia P
February 12.
Dear Mom, I've been gone almost two months now. Has it become any
quieter or have you noticed? I'm real tired right now but I can't sleep.
Whoever said it was hot in the desert lied. I'm sitting in the back of a
truck, hold on, now I'm in my cave. It's not so cold here because the wind
can't get to me. It's pretty uncomfortable though.
Well, all these years of playing war will hopefully pay off. By the way,
Mom, happy birthday. I'm feeling pretty depressed right now. I feel as if all
this is in my imagination, almost like I'm losing touch with reality, like an
extended dream. I just want to wake up and be 12 or 13 again. Then the
biggest fight I had to worry about was you letting me pick out my school
clothes.
. . . Do all the people I know think of me as being brave? I almost feel like
crying. I don't know why, really. I guess it's because I'm being forced into
manhood and I'm having to lock up the little boy that I am away
somewhere in my mind, not knowing if in the days ahead I'll lose a key to
the lock and never see or hear from him again.
I played brave all my life but now it's not play so the little boy goes away
and a man that is so full of self-doubt appears. I've got to go. I love you.
Rob
Afghanistan
Reading: Destiny W
(one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
Afghanistan
Dates: 2001 to present
American Casualties: Dead or Wounded: 12,035, Missing: 1
Reader: ______________________
“Being back here in Afghanistan is exactly were I was supposed to be and where
I wanted to be. I feel I'm doing more good over here than I was as an electrician.
I knew exactly what I was doing when I re-enlisted Infantry I'm just sorry that you
all have to suffer for it now.
For me to prepare myself to take life without hesitation has been a very difficult
thing to do. To take away another woman's son, husband, mans son, brother has
always bothered me but through my eyes is understood by my god and I am
forgiven. For the man that took my life more than likely for all he has known his
whole life he feels the exact same way I do when he killed me. That is what
scares me and I don't think is understood by disappointingly a huge percentage
of Americans.
I've always used the analogy if you’re told the color blue is green your whole life
and someone tells you it's actually blue they can give you all the facts in the
world to prove it's blue but at the end of the day it's still green to you. The enemy
we’re faced with is most of the time beyond words and it comes down to a sad
but inevitable conclusion. We have to have young men that are willing to die to
act on them and kill them before they can carry out any plans they have to kill
innocent people because that is what they believe Allah wants, from distorted
teachings of the Koran.
Know that you all are the reason I am here and to give my life for that is nothing
to me. My love for every-one of you is what drives me and brings me comfort
under stressful situations.
Carise let your child know of me and that even though I was never able to see
he/she grow I love them more than they could imagine.”
Cpl. Bogar was killed in a firefight at Wanat, Afghanistan on July 13, 2008.
He was 25.
Iraq
Reading: Jared (one reads name and dates, the other reads Casualties)
Iraq Dates: 2003 to present
American Casualties: Dead or Wounded: 48,430
Missing: 3
Reader: Bailey
Email from Iraq 2007
Hey baby. If you're reading this, then something has happen to me and I am
sorry. I promised you I would come back to you, but I guess it was a promise I
could not keep. You know I never believe in writing "death letters." I knew if I left
one for my folks it would scare them. Then I met you. We were supposed to meet,
darling. I needed someone to make me smile, someone that was an old romantic
like I was. I was going through a very rough time in Iraq and I was startin to
doubt my mental state. Then one day after a patrol, I go to my facebook and there
you were…
I can't stop crying while I writing this letter, but I have to talk to you one last
time, because maybe the last time I heard your voice...I did not know it would be
the last time I heard your voice….
I Love You. Go be happy, go raise a family. Teach your kids right from wrong, and
have faith, darling. I think I knew I loved you even before I met. I love you, Katy.
* Kiss * Goodbye
*
Specialist Daniel E. Gomez
Specialist Daniel E. Gomez, 21, an Army combat medic who died in Adhamiya
on July 18, 2007, when the Bradley fighting vehicle he was in struck a roadside
bomb.
Reader: December
War takes away lives and futures; dreams and opportunities
But its greatest crime is that it takes away voices. The saddest losses are the
words unsaid and the thoughts unheard. Gone forever, Another casualty of war.
......Take the time today and everyday to talk to a veteran,
And, just as important, remember to spend some time listening , listening to their
stories. and try to understand.
End Reading
MC: Georgia
*Slide “Personal Veteran Story: Jerry Bryson*
Transisition to Speaker: (December Brickey)
“Sometimes it is difficult for people to put a face to a veteran, it is easy to think of
Them as just “soldiers”. But Veterans arenʼt soldiers forever, they are Sons and
daughters, Husbands and Wives, Family members and Friends. They effect us in ways that we
often don’t realize. Please welcome December Brickey as she shares a personal veteran story
from our school secretary, Mrs. Bryson, about her Father-in-law, Jerry
(4:00 Minutes)
Reader: December
*Slide “in front of house”*
“Jerry was my father-in-law. Every summer we’d go picking wild blackberry and we would talk.
He had been in Vietnam as a young man. There is a picture of him standing in front of his
mother’s house on the day he left for war, I see him there as a young man: handsome, confident,
but still maybe a little afraid of what lay ahead.
He went to war and did his duty as a soldier, and then he came back and many years passed, and
we picked wild blackberries together in the summers.
*Next Slide
He would only tell me one story about the war: It was about he and another soldier, wounded in a
field hospital while shells fell all around them. He would tell it and I would shake my head, just
trying to imagine how crazy it must have been, and we would pick wild blackberries together.
Jerry passed away in 2007(Check date)
Many people left condolences in the on-line guest book, as I read through them, I saw a letter
from a man in Illinois, it read like this:
*Next Slide
Pick up letter
“I served with Jerry with A Troop, 1st of the 9th Calavary at LZ(Landing Zone) Dog, LZ English
and eventually Dong Ha. We were wounded on the same day and were medi-vaked to a Marine
hospital on the other side of Dong Ha and we were both in the operating room at the same time.
I believe that Jerry was wounded in the back and my wound was in the leg. While we were on
the table being worked on, enemy fire continued to rain down on the hospital bunker. Everybody
evacuated the operating room and Jerry and I would crawl to a more secure area. By the time we
got there the fire would stop and they would carry us back to the operating room. It happened
twice and the third time we looked at each other and said it was too much work crawling that far
without any help, so we stayed on the tables until the bombardment ended.
*Next Slide
The point of the story is that Jerry showed his bravery by helping another individual that
could not help himself. Almost 40 years have passed since February 1968 and I lost contact with Jerry when I
was sent home. He made the impression on life for me to remember his name and circumstances
which we were under. I’ve often thought of him over the years and wondered what became of
him. The answer is obvious-- for he continued to lead life to the fullest, raise a family, help
others, and still find time to enjoy the things he loved.
It is sad to find out of his passing and may God Bless his family and friends in this time of loss.
Jerry, thanks for letting me be your friend and we will meet again.
Rich Marks
A-Troop, 1st of the 9th Cavalry
Red Scorpions
(Put down letter)
*Slide: Jerry as a Young man*
I smiled as I read the letter. It was the same story that he had told me. The war was a small
chapter in the life of a man who went on to do many things and love many people. I miss Jerry
and I think of him often, especially on those hot summer days when I go out to pick wild
blackberries.
Thank you Mrs. Bryson for sharing the story of your Veteran.
(When you see her today, please thank Mrs. Bryson for sharing the story of her veteran.)
Slide: Blackberries
Then fades to Black
MC Returns/ Pauses
“We are honored today to have Veterans from many branches of service in the Audience.
We are going to show the branch name and play the anthem from each.
I will now ask the veterans that they rise or wave when they hear their branch name and anthem.
(Begin the slide show)
Slide Show of Branch Insignias
Read them as they show up Lauren D.
“Coast Guard” Pause “Air Force” Pause “Navy” Pause “Marines” Pause “Army”
(Slow everything down Here and wait for everyone to be ready. Buttonier pinners get a
head start)
At this point in our program we will recognize our visiting military veterans directly.
We will bring the microphone down to the veterans.
Veterans Please say your name, branch of service and any message you would like to give to our
students..”
Dorothy with mic, ______________________,
Microphone precedes Buttoneers by about 4 people
Let them say their name, branch, years of service, and anything else that they
want to say. Give them buttoneers about 3 behind the speaker
After they have all had a chance to speak, when you get the microphone back, say “thank you.”
Pause
MC: Georgia Let the buttoneer people go back and sit before continuing!
Then.....“These are our veterans, Please join me in a honoring them”
Wait for applause to stop
MC Transition: Thank you for all you have done”
_______
MC “This has been a special event for all of us. as we bring it to a close,
“Please observe a respectful silence as Mr. Otterness plays the tune that drifted
over many battlefields and cemeteries. Listen, honor and remember our Veterans and fallen
soldiers.”
Pause
Mr. Otterness Plays Taps
Spotlight on Mr. O, Slowly fades out at end.
Let it hang in the air.
“Thank you for attending our assembly and helping us give these veterans the respect they
deserve”
I’d like to ask our veterans to please stay in the back of the gym so that we can get a photo of all
of you together
Also, If you are a student that sponsored one of our veterans today, be sure to come
down so that we can get a picture of the 2 of you together.
Here is Mrs Walker to end the Assembly.”
Turn over to Mrs Walker
She dismisses the students.