By Garrett Ammesmaki
Trey Gerdes recites Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address May 30, 2022 at the Lennox American Legion Hall
Roughly 60 veterans and community members filled the Lennox Foreign Legion for this year’s Memorial Day service under a clear sky that ended a day chalked full of inclement weather.
Members of the Legion soldiered through some early issues with audio equipment to deliver the service that included the presentation of colors, a reading of war poetry as well as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and a presentation of awards to local schoolchildren.
Fourteen Lennox area children were given either an award for citizenship or a scholarship. 8th graders Josephine Plucker, Alia Temme and Eli Highum received scholarships while Briana Slack and Cloy McVey received the citizenship award. Freshmen that received scholarships include Natalie Andernacht and Noah Buhta, while Kelsey Schmidt and Carter Dose were given the citizenship award. Sophomore scholarship awardees were Kennedy Schwartz, Sedrah Visscher and Trey Gerdes.
Kennedy Schwartz and Sedrah Visscher recited In Flanders Field, a poem by a World War I veteran John D. McCrae, followed by The Answer, another poem by a war vet named J.A. Armstrong. Trey Gerdes recited Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Local veteran Jim Vail was glad to see the turn out. He has been a member of the Lennox Legion for the past five years, and is a member of the color guard.
Vail served in Germany during the Vietnam war and, though he heard of stories across the country where Vietnam veterans were treated poorly when they returned home, here in Lennox they were welcomed back with open arms.
Pastor Gary Hegstad was the keynote speaker. His speech touched on a variety of things including giving thanks for those who survived while honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“It’s a noble endeavor to bring hope, peace and freedom,” Hegstad said. “May those sacrifices not be in vain.”
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