Veterans honored in C. Falls ceremony

Hundreds of local public school students and members of the public cheered Tuesday for 45 veterans who attended the only high school Veterans Day ceremony in Montana.

Shiloh Knudsen, 17, a CFHS senior, emceed the event at Columbia Falls High School. She said she admires the veterans because "they don't know me, but they were willing to give their lives for me." Knudsen plans to attend private college and study either pre-law or elementary education.

During the program, which began at 10 a.m., student Heidi Brunz told the stories of three Montana Veterans' Home residents:

Wesley Weatherly, 85, a Montana native who won three battle stars fighting alongside Gen. George S. Patton in Europe frm 1942 to 1945.

Robert Rales, 81, a gunner with the 2nd Infantry in Korea who was awarded silver and bronze stars for his service.

Cliff Cottengim, 77, an Army engineer who also fought in Korea.

Students from second and fifth grades at Ruder Elementary read essays they wrote for the event.

Kara Mohr, 8, from Sherry Jolley's second grade class, described what makes a hero: "A hero to me is someone who risks his or her life to save someone else's life. A hero is someone who is brave and strong. A hero is someone who has a good heart and who is willing to fight for our country. I think that a hero is a perosn who is kind and loving. That is what I think is a hero.

Joselyn Jolly, 7, said a hero "is somebody who steps in the way of danger, like a police officer. A hero is somebody who risks their life for you, like a firefighter. A hero is somebody that fights for people they do not know, like a soldier."

Dakota Bridwell, 11, from Cathy Spencer's fifth grade class, wrote about his appreciation for veterans who "willingly went to war and fought for my freedom so that I could enjoy playing sports, going to school and being with my family."

Allie Folks, 11, wrote that because of the sacrifices of veterans, "you can have as many children as you want in America. In China, they can only have a couple children. If they have more than three children, they have to go to an orphange. That's not freedom."

Alan Robbins, principal of Columbia Falls High School, told the audience that the proper way to show appreciation for the freedoms won by veterans is not to do "what you like to do, but what you ought to do."