Priceville JROTC’s color guard posted colors at Priceville Elementary School’s Veterans Day Program Mon., Nov. 10. Pictured, from left, are Kevin Harris, Bethany Aldridge, Ethan Loosier, Laekin Schrader and Savannah Kirkpatrick. | Clif Knight

Priceville Elementary School students celebrated Veterans Day with a special program, which included patriotic songs, a flag folding ceremony, hat-laying ceremony and special recognition of the 42 veterans in attendance.

The program was led by students and conducted in the school gymnasium Mon., Nov. 10.

Of the veterans in attendance, at least one served during World War II.

Wallace Willingham of Decatur fought in the European Theater as a U.S. Army combat infantrymen. He received the Bronze Star.

He attended the program as the great-grandfather of PES students Pressley Litton and Reese and Riley Dilbeck.

“Patriotic programs like this mean a lot to me,” he stated. “The kids are really patriotic. That’s a good thing.”

The school choir, directed by Susie Bagwell, sang “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Thank a Vet” and led the audience in the singing of “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “America the Beautiful.”

JROTC cadets posted the colors, performed a flag folding ceremony and a hat laying ceremony representing all five branches of the armed forces – Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

The veterans were recognized according to the branch of service in which they served as well as individually. Two students read aloud the names of each veteran present along with the name or names of the PES students who are their children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

Another student recited a poem entitled “It’s a Veteran.” The program concluded with a moment of silence in honor and in memory of all American Veterans, followed by the playing of taps.