On Monday, November 11, 2024, members of the Southern High School board, along with administrators, staff, students, and guests, gathered to honor those currently serving and those who have served in the military during the Veterans Day Ceremonies.
The ceremonies took place in the elementary and high school gyms at different times, featuring messages tailored to different age groups to emphasize the importance of honoring veterans.
At the elementary program, the Southern High School band performed the “National Anthem”, “Anchors Away”, and “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”. The kindergarten students entertained the guests with “This land is Your Land”. Prek-6 Principal, Tricia McNickle gave an education speech on “Why Veterans Day is Important!”
High School Program: Southern High School Superintendent Tony Deem (an Army Veteran), Principal Daniel Otto, Counselor Russ Fields (an Army Veteran), and Technology Coordinator Edward Baker (a Marine Veteran) worked together to lead the events. The National Honor Society members who assisted with the events included Katie Brooker, Ava Circle, Xander Fisher, Audrianna Herrera, Jorja Lisle, and Carson Reuter.
The high school ceremony began with the color guard from the Racine American Legion Post 602 posting the colors. The color guards placed flags into stands to signify the start of the event. After this introduction, the Southern High School Band, directed by Mr. Chad Dodson and Mr. David Maxon, performed the National Anthem. NHS President Mr. Reuter then led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Principal Otto welcomed everyone to Southern High School, especially the veterans and members of the Racine American Legion.
“Thank you for attending the 2024 Veterans Program,” Otto said. “At Southern Local, the Veterans Day program is one of its great traditions. Many schools give students the day off, but we feel it is important to educate, honor, remember, and thank our veterans on this day.”
Southern Local Schools Board President Brenda Johnson made a special presentation of the Quilts of Valor, which are awarded to service members or veterans who have been affected by war. The veterans honored with the Quilts of Valor for their service, sacrifice, and bravery were Superintendent Deem (Operation Iraqi Freedom), Denny Evans (Vietnam War), and Alan Grahman (Vietnam War and Army National Guard).
The quilts, vibrant and beautifully made, were crafted by Johnson, her cousins Elizabeth and Sarah Lawrence, and other quilters who generously donated their time.
Following the heartfelt quilt presentation, the National Honor Society members read meaningful quotes to express their gratitude for the veterans.
“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran doesn't have that problem,” said Brooker, quoting Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Fields then invited Southern staff and guests who are veterans to stand, prompting a loud round of applause from the audience.
Throughout the ceremony, the names of the Southern Alumni who are serving or have served were scrolling on the projector.
Superintendent Deem then took the podium to present the Special Honoree Award.
“In keeping with a tradition that was started 19 years ago at Southern Local, we choose to honor one of our own on this special day for Veterans,” Deem shared. “Although we have this holiday to honor veterans, it is every day that we should honor those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and our way of life.”
This year, the special honor was awarded to retired Marine Captain Larry Wilcoxen. He joined the Marine Corps in 1980 and attended the Marine Corps Developmental and Education Center in Quantico, Virginia as a Basic Infantry Officer.
In his 11 years as an infantry officer, Wilcoxen earned the following awards: Rifle Badge Expert (6th Award), Sea Service Ribbon with 3 stars, Southwest Asia Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Pistol Badge Sharpshooter.
He participated in Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm in Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia from December 1991 to April 1992. He left the Marine Corps in 1994. He resides in Racine with his wife of 39 years, Tammy, and their children, John and James.
Past honorees include Ralph Triplett (2006), Eugene Jeffers (2007) Eugene Jeffers, Tony Deem (2008), George Lawrence (2009), Spencer Carpenter (2010), Delbert Smith (2011), Kenny Theiss (2012), Charles W. Bush (2013), Paul Beegle (2014), Tom Diddle (2015), Tom Wolfe (2016), Bill Cross (2017), Dale Hart (2018), Alan Graham (2019), Gary D. Evans (2020), Gary Keith Willford (2021), Tommy Hill (2022), and Chuck Mugrage (2023).
Up next, English teacher Mr. William Whitlock then read a special poem titled “In Your Honor,” by an unknown author. The poem reads:
"Unselfishly, you left your fathers and your mothers,
You left behind your sisters and your brothers.
Leaving your beloved children and wives,
You put on hold, your dreams-your lives.
On foreign soil, you found yourself planted
To fight for those whose freedom you granted.
Without your sacrifice, their cause would be lost
But you carried onward, no matter the cost.
Many horrors you had endured and seen.
Many faces had haunted your dreams.
You cheered as your enemies littered the ground;
You cried as your brothers fell all around.
When it was over, you all came back home,
Some were left with memories to face all alone;
Some found themselves in the company of friends
As their crosses cast shadows across the land.
Those who survived were forever scarred
Emotionally, physically, and permanently marred.
Those who did not now sleep eternally
‘Neath the ground they had given their lives to keep free.
With a hand upon my heart, I feel
The pride and respect; my reverence is revealed.
In the tears that now stream down my upturned face
As our flag waves above you, in her glory and grace.
Freedom was the gift that you unselfishly gave
Pain and death were the price that you ultimately paid.
Every day, I give my utmost admiration
To those who had fought to defend our nation."
Those in attendance then focused their attention on the special video created by Tom Tomlinson which featured an emotional video of a soldier being laid to rest to the song by Rascal Flatts titled, “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
Mr. Deem and Mr. Baker then presented a roll call, which was the reading of the names of veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice. As each name was called, a bell was tolled and the scoreboard counted down from 185, which was the number of local men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. A candle of life was also distinguished and the end of each war (WWI. WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, and the Iraq War.
After taps were played by Mr. Maxson, the veterans then performed the Retiring of Colors, removing the flag from its stand.
The veterans and their families then stayed after to enjoy light refreshments, which were served by the National Honor Society students.
A special thanks to NHS students Katie Brooker and Ava Circle (Toll the Bell), Xander Fisher and Audrianna Herrera (Clock Countdown), and Jorja Lisle and Carson Reuter (Candle Extinguished) for all their help. Thanks to David Kemppel for live-streaming the ceremony, which can be seen on Southern Local School Districts Facebook page. Thanks to Beth Lanning for taking pictures and writing the majority of this article. Thank you to Russ Fields for being the MC of both programs. Most importantly Thank You to all those that have or are currently serving in the United States Armed Services.