Islanders in uniform showed up at the Orcas Island Elementary on Nov. 8 for an appreciation ceremony and breakfast in honor of Veterans. Kathy Page, the new elementary principal, welcomed the community and students for this important assembly. There was a presentation of students’ letters of appreciation, songs form the fifth and sixth grade choir and a slide show by Mike Page from the 101st Airborne.
The audience also enjoyed music from the Orcas Island Community Band. Councilman Rick Hughes also spoke to the crowd.
“If you see someone who has served go up to them and thank them,” he said. ‘We would not have this great community without their action and sacrifice.”
He also urged the children present to be involved in the community and emphasized the importance of service.
Page closed the presentation by reading a letter from a man to his granddaughter describing what it was like coming home from Vietnam and how an elementary assembly, much like the one today, was the first time he received praise for his service.
Page also gave special notice to Major General Bill Anders, who attended the event. Anders was one of the first three persons to have left Earth’s orbit and traveled to the Moon. Page told the audience, that his famous quote was “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.”
He helped to take the first pictures taken of the earth from the Moon, which inspired environmentalists worldwide.
