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Photo by Shawn McHugh

Kelton Villard, 9, left, his sister, Chloe Villard, 6, and their grandmother, Marybea Neu, pick out food from a buffet line during the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4265 Veterans Day barbecue Wednesday.

Every year, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4265 performs a flag-raising ceremony and a 21-gun salute at 11:11 a.m. Nov. 11 on the Moffat County High School football field.

This year, the high school social studies department decided to take Veterans Day a few steps further. They turned it into a daylong lesson in the history and remembrance of the men and women who serve in the military.

Social studies teachers organized several activities to keep MCHS students busy throughout the day.

In lieu of regular classes, the students sat through a panel with local veterans, a flag-folding demonstration, seminars and guest speakers.

The keynote speaker of the day was Lt. Col. Charles Watkins, a former Craig resident who lives in Colorado Springs.

Watkins told stories of flying the son of General George S. Patton in Huey helicopters during the Vietnam War. He was shot down five times.

He said he hoped each of the students would learn from the day’s activities that freedom isn’t free.

“It’s a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Watkins said. “But when we’re over there, we have a job to do and we just do it. We don’t think about it.”

He said he was impressed with the respect shown by the students throughout his visit to his hometown.

“Hopefully, this is the new generation that will step up,” he said.

Students to collect cell phones for US troops

During the Veterans Day celebration, the MCHS Student Council kicked off a drive to collect old cell phones to benefit troops overseas.

Collection bins are located at the high school and at the customer service desk at City Market.

For the next five weeks, anyone can drop off a used phone or pieces and batteries of a broken phone.

The funds from the project will go to the national Cell Phones for Soldiers organization, which will pay for phone cards for overseas troops to stay in touch with their families.

Veterans gather around meal at VFW Post 4265

For Mark Wick, VFW Post 4265 Commander, celebrating Veterans Day is all about food.

“Families get together around a table, and that’s how it works,” he said. “Food is very important. It’s a great way for veterans, families, kids and grandkids to just hang out and kick back.”

Early Wednesday night, veterans and their families gathered around the tables at the VFW post for a barbecue that Wick said the post tries to put on each year.

The Ladies Auxiliary baked cakes and provided baked beans for the meal, while the VFW Steakhouse provided hot dogs and potato salad.

An AR-15 assault rifle, donated by the Northwest Pawn Shop was raffled off to raise money for other events that support local veterans and their community.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” Wick said. “We are like a family. This is the only fraternity I know of that is a lifelong commitment. We look out for each other.”