Students honor vets in 30th program

Custer Jr./Sr. High School honored area veterans with music, poetry and speeches in its 30th annual program Monday, which brought a packed house of veterans, students and other community members together to honor the nation’s veterans. The guest speaker at the event was Deb Hanagan, a local veteran and director of the 1881 Courthouse Museum in Custer.
The program opened with a welcome by CHS principial Tobey Cass and student body president Brook Bennett, followed by the presentation of colors by the Custer Veterans Honor Guard.
After an address from student body secretary Makenna Allen and an invocation by American Legion Post No. 46 first vice commander Rob McWhorter, the Custer High School band, Custer Elementary students and the Custer Jr./Sr. High School choirs performed selections of Veterans Day- themed music.
The proceedings also included the POW/MIA Empty Chair ceremony led by students.
The empty chair was set at a small table near the podium as a symbol “that there are members of the armed forces who are missing. The tablecloth is white to correspond to the purity of their intentions to respond promptly. The table’s glass is inverted because they can’t toast this day. The candle is reminiscent of the light that lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home. The flag reminds us that many may never return and have paid the supreme sacrifice to ensure our freedom,” said CHS’ Jordyn Uphoff.
Guest speaker Col. Deb Hanagan gave the guest speech and talked about her military service and the adventure it brought her.
“During my 28 and a half years in military service I did have some direct and personal experiences in a few momentous events in history, and that’s because I was in uniform,” said Hanagan.
She graduated from West Point in the 1980s and did her first tour of duty in Germany. It was there she got to witness the collapse of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. In fact, she still has a piece of it.
Crossing what was once the iron curtain into countries that had transitioned out of communism was like “being in a ‘Wizard of Oz’ movie,” said Hanagan.
Military intelligence wasn’t what she really wanted to do in the military, so she eventually went on to join the Foreign Area Officer program. When that happened in the 1990s, she went to Slovenia. Her job in their embassy was defense cooperation and helped to a modernized force and bring them up to the standards of other NATO nations, which they wanted to become.
When the 9/11 attacks happened, she was assigned to Germany and was an expert on the politics, culture and current events in area countries like France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands.
After 28-1/2 years, she finished her time in the Army as a teacher at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn.
“The military services encompass a wide range of activities. The Armed Forces need people with all kinds of talents. Whatever you do in uniform, wherver you serve, you help potect and defend or powerful nation,” said Hanagan.
Following Hanagan’s speech, she was presented a gift by Glen Talley of the Custer American Legion.
Then, the CHS band played the Marches of the Armed Forces during which veterans of each branch stood as their march was played and then again later as their name was read by members of the CHS Student Council.  
The CHS media class also put together a video in memory of Custer’s veterans who have passsed away since last Veterans Day. After the video, two members of the CHS band played Taps in their memory and other fallen service members.  
Following the program, refreshments were served in the cafeteria by the Custer County Democrats and Republicans.