MACKINAW – On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, a group of nearly sixty people gathered in the Mackinaw Community Center to recognize the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans at a ceremony sponsored by the American Legion. The ceremony was moved to the Community Center from the original venue of Veterans Park due to the weather.

The Mackinaw American Legion Emery Whisler Post #607, and Deer Creek American Legion Post 1276 jointly hosted the day’s activities, which included the ceremony and the luncheon that immediately followed.

The ceremony was called to order by Mackinaw Legion Post Commander Stuart Schmidgall. Post Chaplain Bruce Wolcott lead the attendees in prayer. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the National Anthem was performed by a Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School chorus quartet.

Schmidgall followed the anthem with remarks on the occasion. He spoke eloquently and passionately about the value of our veterans, the debt owed by our society to them, and included a rousing call for patriotism. 

Upon conclusion of Schmidgall’s remarks, a five-member Honor Guard, rifles at shoulder-arms, marched outside of the Community Center, and performed a three-volley salute. The report of each of the rifles three shots echoed across Fast Avenue, and faded into silence, to be replaced by the haunting notes of TAPS, played by the Post bugler.