Speaker set for WHS Veterans Day assembly

Wahkiakum High School is preparing for its annual Veterans Day Program which honors community members who have served in the United States military.

The program will have a guest speaker, State Representative Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup. According to his resumé, Rep. Dammeier attended Curtis High School and went on to graduate with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy and serve eight years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer. He later earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Washington.

While on active duty, he was deployed on humanitarian relief missions in the United States and across the world. At the conclusion of his military service, he returned to Washington state and became a community volunteer; he also operates a printing business.

The program, scheduled for 10:40 a.m. on November 9, is open to the public.

Veterans and members of the armed forces are invited to attend; students will meet them at the high school entrance before the program starts and escort them into the gymnasium.

Other program highlights include:

--Essays and poems from students;

--Special recognition of veterans and students who have family members serving;

--Music by the Wahkiakum High School Band.

Veterans are invited to tour Wendt Elementary and Thomas Middle schools after the program and read letters that the students wrote thanking for the veterans' service.