Falls Elementary students shook hands and thanked area veterans Monday during a program honoring Veterans Day, which was recognized nationwide Sunday.
Words of remembrance were shared, a flag was folded, and 93-year-old Margarete Kostiuk played a medley of war tunes on her harmonica.
Terry Randolph, VFW Post 2948 commander, said exposing students and others to veterans of each branch of the service helps people understand what men and women who served for the country experienced.
“Hopefully, these kids will never have to go through what some of us already have,” Randolph said.
Randolph, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, continued that while the experiences veterans have had can be “pretty significant” most would still do it all over again, he said.
“I would definitely do it again,” Randolph said with a smile. “I think all of these people would.”
Randolph spoke highly of those who recognize veterans and specifically mentioned Mike Ehredt, who ran from International Falls to Galveston, Texas, in honor of those who died in the war in Afghanistan. At each mile, Ehredt placed a flag with the name, age, rank and hometown of fallen soldiers. Ehredt’s 2,100-mile journey ended on Veterans Day in Texas.
“I met up with (Ehredt) on Highway 53 and placed a flag to honor a soldier back in August,” Randolph said. “The experience gave me chills. There are no words to describe that feeling.”
Outside of Borderland, Veterans Day was celebrated across the country with ceremonies of all kinds held in honor of the men and women who currently serve or have served with some branch of military.
Veterans Day began in 1919 on the first anniversary of Armistice Day, according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. World War I officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles, but the fighting ceased at 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918, with an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany, according to the VA.
The day received its official name of Armistice Day in 1926 and became a national holiday 12 years later, according to the VA.
The day would have continued to be called Armistice Day if not for World War II. Congress passed a bill in 1954 proclaiming Nov. 11 as Veterans Day.
The day observed as Veterans Day was changed to the fourth Monday in October in 1968, but was changed to its traditional Nov. 11 date in 1978, according to the VA.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said, “Veterans Day is a time to come together to honor the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country, including more than 400,000 veterans here in Minnesota. Minnesota is a state that wraps its arms around our veterans. We can never truly repay the debt we owe them. The best we can do is honor them with our actions. I join all Minnesotans (Sunday) in thanking our veterans for their selfless sacrifice for our nation. May we never forget their courage, honor, and commitment to protecting the freedoms we so cherish.”
Last month, Elizabeth Rivera shared with The Journal a story of two generations of veterans in her family in an email. Rivera wrote that her grandfather, John Abley, is a World War II veteran living at the Good Samaritan Society — International Falls.
“He has lived in International Falls his whole life,” she said.
Last month, Rivera said her 22-year-old nephew, Brandon R. Wehenkel, visited his 97-year-old great grandfather.
Rivera said Wehenkel is currently in the U.S. Navy reserves and lives in Amarillo, Texas.
During his visit, Rivera said her nephew “wore his Navy uniform to surprise great grandpa John.”
Randolph says gestures of honor is what Veterans Day is all about.
“Most of these guys are just average people on the street,” Randolph said of the country’s veterans. “We don’t need much, but we do ask is that all people say is ‘thank you.’”
