Hurley K-12 students honor veterans

By ZACHARY MARANO

zmarano@yourdailyglobe.com

HURLEY, Wis. - Hurley K-12 School held a special assembly Thursday morning to honor all veterans and active military men and women for Veterans Day.

The event in the gymnasium included an address by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Aspinwall, the U.S. Army Station Commander in Hurley. Aspinwall said his last tour of duty ended in 2016 and in his current capacity as station commander, he is a recruiter for the Army.

Aspinwall said that he is originally from Bessemer and attended A.D. Johnston High School and Gogebic Community College. He said he was honored to be invited to the school and speak about his experiences to the students.

The assembly started with a welcome by high school history teacher Chris Kelly and a presentation of colors by Arvid Sivula, captain of the Color Guard for VFW Post 1580 in Hurley. The Hurley High School Band, directed by Jesika Cane, performed the national anthem and "Armed Forces – The Pride of America!" by Larry Clark.

The 6th grade choir performed "Land of the Free" by Michael and Angela Souders and the high school choir performed a piece called "I Lift My Lamp," with words from Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" set to music by Katie O'Connor-Ballantyne.

"Colossus" was inscribed on a brass plaque and installed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. According to the event's program, the poem is dedicated to all who come to the U.S. for a better life.

After the high school choir's performance, the school had a moment of silence in honor of veterans who are deceased or missing in action. Sivula then retrieved the colors and Kelly made some closing remarks.

The veterans who came to the assembly were invited to stay after the event to eat lunch with the students in the cafeteria.