THANKING THOSE WHO SERVED

Ithaca 5th-graders continue tradition of honoring veterans

It has become somewhat of a tradition for Lisa Yoder’s fifthgrade class at Ithaca North Elementary School to honor U.S. military veterans.

And 2023 will be no different. This will be the 13th year students in Yoder’s class have written thank you notes to those who served or are currently serving in the military.

Even before that she would bring her class on the four-block walk from school to the annual Ithaca Veterans Day ceremony held at the All Wars Memorial on the Gratiot County Courthouse lawn.

This year’s ceremony is 11 a.m. Saturday.

Writing the notes isn’t a classroom assignment, students do it voluntarily, Yoder said.

“These are 10 and 11 year olds and they take time out of recess and at home to write them,” she noted last year when her students were the keynote speakers at the Veterans Day ceremony for the second time.

Following are the thank you notes written by 20 members of this year’s class:

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To our fellow Americans, citizens of Gratiot County, and Michigan:

This Veterans Day, we wanted to start off giving a recognition for veterans we know and appreciate.

One of us has a grandpa, Jack Martin, who is a veteran. He was in the Air Force and he took on the responsibility for being a jet mechanic from 1965-1969.

Another of us has a grandpa, David Bowen, who was also a veteran. He served in the Army and was a specialist for military police from 1971-1975.

Ok, enough about our special veterans. We think it is important to say thanks to all of the branches for serving our country and making it safe for everyone who lives here.

In case we weren’t clear, we really just want to say “Thank you” to all veterans for sacrificing your lives for us and our beautiful country, America.

There’s not enough words in the entire world to explain how much we appreciate you all! Macee W and Layla S

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Dear Veterans,

Thank you for serving our country. It means a lot to us all that you did so much to take care of us and protect us.

We hope that the rest of the years you will take care of yourself. You should know that you matter, and you are all amazing.

Thank you. You are all the best!

Emily O and Emmett L

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Hello Veterans,

Thank you for serving our country. Thank you for making a strong military. Thank you for being people who serve the U.S.A. Thank you veterans.

Hayes S

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Dear Veterans,

Thank you for your service. I am really glad we have a free country. I actually had a Grandpa Mack who served in Vietnam. He survived that, but since then, he has passed on. Still, he helped me understand how important veterans are.

To all of you who have served or are serving: thank you so much. I’m so happy that I live in the USA. I’m so grateful for what you veterans do and how you have risked your lives to help our country.

•

Hello veterans, ladies, gentlemen, people of Gratiot County, and all our fellow American citizens. We want to talk about veterans and all the amazing things they have done for this country. We give great recognition to my father Joseph Lanfranki. He served in Iraq as an

GREG NELSON — THE MORNING SUN In this photo from November 2022, Ithaca holds its annual Veterans Day ceremony at the All Wars Memorial on the grounds of the Gratiot County Courthouse. The keynote speakers were a group of 18students from Lisa Yoder’s fifth-grade class at North Elementary School. Color guards from VFW Post #7805and American Legion Post #334, which offered a 21-gun salute, were also part of the event that was attended by about 200spectators.