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Show Lake City, UT 84124 AN EDITION OF PRIDE & PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID SPANISH FORK, UTAH PERMIT NO. 2 P R O U j u i The Spanish Fork News 1 VOL. 2 / NO. 45 I O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D O WEDNESDAY, P E R NOVEMBER A T E D7, 2007 500 SPANISH FORK, UTAH For lov Coil American Legion serves throughout the year Marilyn Nielson STAFF W R I T E R In honor of Veterans Day, Spanish Fork's American Legion Post 68 will hold special patriotic assemblies in elementary schools throughout Spanish Fork and Salem. According to Paul Hartley, chair of the Veterans Day programs, the assemblies will last 20 minutes each, and the public is welcome to attend. The American Legion puts on patriotic assemblies every year to help promote patriotism and educate the younger generation. At the assemblies, local veterans will post the colors, introduce themselves, show a short patriotic-themed DVD, retire the colors and play Taps. All veterans, whether American Legion members or not, are invited to come and participate. Most people have seen the American Legion at work in some area or another, but the sheer extent of their community outreach is not as well known. The local Spanish Fork post is active in service all year long. Their primary purpose, according to local World War II Veteran and former American Legion Commander Richard Banks, is simply "promoting patriotism." Because these veterans have served their country and gained such strong feelings of appreciation for America themselves, they love to share those feelings with others. "I always try to tell my grandkids how grateful they should be for their country," said Banks. He served in Europe during World War II, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and was Steve Hard man / Spanish Fork News LIFETIME OF SERVICE: Members of the American Legion honor guard stand at attention during the annual Memorial Day service at the SF cemetery. a prisoner of war for 95 days. All these experiences, he said, changed the way he looks at the world. "I came home with such a great appreciation for freedom, for food and for all the things we have. Now, not a day goes by that I don't clean my plate, and I always try to be prayerful and thankful for all that I've been given," Banks said. Beyond educating others about their experiences, veterans in the American Legion have developed various community programs to help with the goal of promoting patriotism. One thing they do is hold commemorative ceremonies on special holidays, such as Memorial Day. Veterans Day and Sept. 11, Patriot Day. They encourage the community to remember deceased veterans and to be especially mindful of their own freedoms on these days. The American Legion also holds flag retirement ceremonies, where old or torn American flags can be retired respectfully. Veterans assist in burning these flags during special ceremonies, again helping the community show respect and reverence for their Mag and country. The American Legion also provides special honor and comfort to the families of deceased veterans. When a veteran dies. American Legion members provide a military honor guard for the funeral. They honor the one who has died with a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps. They then present the next of kin with an American Flag. Additionally, on Memorial Day, the American Legion sells poppies for one dollar, with the money going to the Legion's auxiliary committee and helping to fund other American Legion service efforts. For veterans who are wounded and hospitalized, the American Legion provides needed personal items and regular hospital visits. They try to help all veterans feel that they are appreciated and valued by the community. Another pair of programs sponsored by the American Legion is Boys State and Girls State. These programs allow high school juniors (one student for every 25 Fender bender plus See COUNTRY • A8 Students trick-ortreat for former Don CLEAN UP ON AISLE NINE: Officer Lunceford helps get Main Street cleaned up after a traffic accident near 100 North on Thursday, Nov. 1. Apparently, a driver had failed to notice that traffic had stopped. The ensuing crash involved five vehicles, the last of which was parked on the side of the road and was hit by a tire lost by the first vehicle. No major injuries were reported. Heather Campbell STAFF WRITER When Spanish Fork High School student Courtney Stockey heard about a fundraising idea her mother had read about in the paper, she wasted no time in joining forces with friends and Spanish Fork High School classmates Cody Carrigan and Sophie Watkin. The three devised a plan to, "trick or treat for change" as an organized effort to help Carrigan's friend, 18-year-old Shawn Shepherd. Shepherd was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment at Namon Bills / Spanish Fork Neivs See STUDENTS • A8 |