Douglas students pay tribute to active military and veterans

Children, staff join in America Supports You Freedom Walk

By Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Wednesday, September 12, 2007

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BOX ELDER -- Dressed in their patriotic best, third-graders Ragan Luthe and Rebecca Gross have no memories of Sept. 11, 2001, but they knew that someone had attacked the country and that people had died in the "twin towers."

"My mom told me about it," Rebecca said.

Luthe and Gross were among Douglas elementary school students who brought up the rear of a 2,400 student honor guard marching into the Douglas School District's Patriot Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

The young students were waving red, white and blue banners and streamers and carrying American flags for the first America Supports You Freedom Walk at Douglas School District.

As the students marched, a B-1B Lancer bomber lifting off from nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base arched across the sky.

Students and teachers left their classrooms Tuesday afternoon to give a tribute to the men and women serving in the military and to the victims of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

Almost half of the students in the Douglas School District have parents serving in the military. Tuesday's ceremony was also a demonstration of support for the sacrifices those families make every day to protect the freedoms Americans enjoy, superintendent of schools Loren Scheer said when he addressed the students.

"A lot of us have family members fighting overseas," said Nick Keller, 17, a junior at Douglas High School. "This day is really in remembrance of them and the debt they are paying for us."

An Air Force ROTC color guard from Douglas High School led the walk. High school students and middle school students paraded past the elementary school students. The younger students then joined the stroll to the stadium.

"There was a real sense of pride when we were walking down here," Nick said. "It's amazing that all these people were getting together for one cause."

Over the past six years, never a day passes in the Douglas School District without a reminder that there are parents, spouses and siblings serving in the military, speech therapist Connie Boomsma said.

"I think we're a closer-knit family because of the military connection we have," Boomsma said. "It's too bad a tragedy had to bring people closer."

Sixth graders Ashley Johnston, 11, and Jessica Larson, 11, are too young to remember much about terrorist attacks, but they knew that by walking they were showing "support for the country and peace."

The freedom walk was organized by physical-education teachers in the Douglas School District under the leadership of Ellen Ellwanger and Deanne Mulvehill.

The teachers wanted the walk to give students a sense of community and an appreciation for their classmates who have parents on deployment.

"This is a part of our school district that can't be denied," Mulvehill said. "We wanted to honor that."

Watch a video of Tuesday's America Supports You Freedom Walk here.

Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com