Vermillion heats off frigid day by honoring local hero’s in day of history
Honoring our vets: Erica Iverson
Posted: Friday, November 14, 2014 12:03 am
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Updated: 1:30 pm, Fri Nov 14, 2014.
Major Erica Iverson, of the United
States Army’s Corps of Engineers, traveled home to Vermillion from her
current assignment at Fort Eustis, Virginia to give local residents and
students a history lesson about Clay County military veterans on Tuesday
in the Vermillion High School gymnasium.
“This is my home and it's great to
be home,” Iverson said. “I planned my wedding Saturday around this
event, it means so much to me. My husband teased me that I spent more
time writing this speech than my vows.”
The Veteran’s Day Ceremony was
hosted by the American Legion Post 1 and Vermillion High School. The
Vermillion Middle School, elementary schools, and the University of
South Dakota ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) honor guard also had
major roles to play.
I was honored to join a large number
of veterans who were allowed to enter to a standing ovation at the very
beginning of the program. The number of veterans overflowed the
reserved seating.
“I had a son in the Marines, and a
great uncle in World War One that we heard stories of,” Vermillion
resident Dorothy Blair said. “I've been to veteran programs before. I
worked in the school, and we always had a program, but it's nice to see
something really put together like this. But how many people can have a
speaker like Erica come?”
American Legion Post 1 Commander,
Clinton Meadows, introduced each group of veteran by which era they
served in, from World War Two to the current War on Terror. The families
of veterans and the three Tanagers who have committed to joining the
military after graduating this spring were also introduced.
Austin Elementary presented a
Veterans video, while the Vermillion Middle School presented a video
regaling the audience on what Veterans Day means to them, and who they
know that have served our country. St. Agnes’ fourth and fifth grade
classes performed “The Heart of America,” while the VHS choir let
everyone in the National Anthem, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, and
“God Bless America.”
Avery Iverson & Gage Whitaker
each read their essays entitled, “What Veterans Day Means.” They were
the two winners out of the entire fifth-grade class.
“This is absolutely amazing, especially with
having Vietnam vets in the audience. I think the credit goes to the
Veteran Service Organizations (VSO), the VFW, the Legion and the
Auxiliaries. They are the ones that went through it and they know what
it is like to come home. Especially the guys who went to Vietnam and
came back and got spit on. So what do they do? They come back and join
these VSO’s to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.”Vietnam veteran and grandfather of Whitaker, Roger Delaney, had a more pleasant homecoming than most.
“At Travis Air Force Base, myself and three officers went into the restroom and changed cloths,” Delaney said. “I flew into Sioux Falls that night and there was nobody to come up to get me, so I spent the night at a friend’s house.
“When I was waiting for him to show up I was having a cup of coffee at the restaurant at Joe Foss Field. They closed up at eleven o’clock and I went outside was standing around waiting this buddy of mine to come pick me up and one of the waitresses came out and gave me a big hug and a kiss.”
Iverson focused on the veterans of Clay County. She told the story of several from all branches of service.
“Every veteran remembers something
different,” Iverson said. “Marine Corporal James Kronaizl, a Vermillion
native, served in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific in World War II. He
remembered the heat & humidity.
“And I can also say, for those of
you that have been to Iraq, whether in the 90's or more recently, I
explain to people that serving in Iraq is like getting wrapped in an
electric blanket on high, going to sit in the sauna, then having a fan
blow sand on you, trying to eat meals and sleep in that.”
Meadows was very pleased with the turnout and the reception from the crowd.
“She (Iverson) did an excellent job showing that
really the solder or service member hasn’t changed much since World War
II,” Meadows said. “We are still facing the same obstacles.”Iverson remembers how she was able to stay grounded during her many deployments.
“My grandma was religious (about
sending mail),” Iverson said. “I got the Plain Talk, she gave me a
subscription in Iraq and Afghanistan. That was my little semblance of
home. So the Plain Talk was amazing.
“This community has been phenomenal,” Iverson
said afterwards. “I have gotten care packages, and they go out to
everyone so Vermillion, South Dakota is on the map. These kids who have
done the packages, and the churches, Vermillion is on the map. The
outpouring of support I’ve gotten on my deployments, I’ve done eight of
my fourteen years already overseas. To come home to something like
this…”Iverson shows her pride in origins as a Tanager and in her chosen profession as an Army officer.
“America remains the land of the
free because of the brave,” Iverson said. “To honor them is to honor the
spirit that is the United States of America. The spirit that says:
duty, honor and country. And they are ideals that are still worth
fighting for.”
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