Veterans Day ceremonies and celebrations set for Thursday

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 497 will be holding a ceremony and Sunnyside Intermediate School will be hosting a Veterans Day Breakfast Thursday to honor the area’s veterans.

Dale Herd of VFW Post 497 said the VFW-led ceremony will start at 11 a.m. in front of the VFW Memorial Wall near Town Square with members of his organization as well as American Legion 11 making up the event’s honor guard, which will preform the 21-shot salute followed by the playing of taps.

After the short ceremony attendees will move into the Elks Lodge for a longer event featuring guest speakers which will include Sen. Russ Tempel R-Chester, followed by a chili lunch and a chance for attendees to socialize.

Earlier that day, Sunnyside Intermediate School will hold its Veterans Day Breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. to honor the parents of students who served in the armed forces.

Sunnyside Principal Pax Haslem said the breakfast will last for about a half hour which will be followed by a raising of the the school’s new Montana State and U.S. flags.

Haslem said a member of the national guard will explain to the students how they retire old flags afterwhich the students will come back into the building.

After everyone is seated, he said, he will deliver some remarks, then the Sunnyside Cultural Diversity Club will perform a traditional Native American honor song.