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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:47 PM CST
Carl Sandburg Elementary has veterans program

By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — Emmalee Erdman and Caden Myerscough weren’t related to any of the military veterans that were part of the large crowd in their school’s gym Tuesday, but both said they were honored to perform for them.

The two Carl Sandburg Elementary School third-graders joined their classmates and other students at the school to sing songs and pay tribute to veterans. During the first of two shows Tuesday, students dressed in red, white or blue T-shirts lined the stage in the gym, arranged to resemble an American flag.

“They have something they can see and spend time here to make them feel nice,” Emmalee said about the performance. Caden added that he liked singing to veterans because “it will honor them because they’ve served our country for years.”

Carl Sandburg has a veterans program once every three years so that each of the first-, second- or third-grade students who attends the school gets to participate in one, explained Lisa O’Dell, the school’s music teacher. The program took place the day before the actual Veterans Day holiday because veterans and others will have plenty of other obligations today and “we want to be sure to honor them,” she said.

Mike Neal, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and whose granddaughter Baley Myerscough attends Carl Sandburg, said he appreciated the school’s effort.

“It’s absolutely tremendous that the young children get an opportunity to recognize veterans and the roles they played,” he said.

World War II Army veteran Edward Morgan has two great-grandchildren, Steven Varda and Paige Wilson, who attend Carl Sandburg, and he said he enjoyed the performance as well.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s the second time I’ve been here.”

O’Dell said most of the veterans who attended the performances Tuesday were related to Carl Sandburg students, but the school also invited local VFW post members and other veterans. One wall of the school’s gym was designated the “Wall of Honor” with stars with names of veterans and people currently in the military who are family or friends of Carl Sandburg students and employees.

“We’re trying to teach the kids to be citizens who are patriotic,” O’Dell said. “That’s what Veterans Day is all about.”

Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.

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Carl Sandburg Elementary School first-graders form the American Flag as they sing 'You're A Grand Old Flag' Tuesday afternoon during the annual Veterans Day program at the school in Charleston. Ken Trevarthan/Staff Photographer