By PATRICK BYRD
Special to Atmore News
Escambia Academy held their Annual Veterans Day Program on Thursday, November 9, led by Mrs. Brittany Parker.
Seniors Charlie Sasser and Timmy Doerr opened the program with a prayer before colors were presented by junior Logan Madden and freshman Jonas McElhaney; the pledge was led by Samuel and Marshall Gandy. Tahtianna Rodriguez presented the audience with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Freshman Danny Doerr followed this with a poem describing the bravery of each soldier who follows their call to service.
Coach Gex Billups delivered a speech surrounding the American Revolution, tying it to the freedoms we have today and how those are protected by those who serve every day. This was followed by the Cougar band with “America the Beautiful” and the elementary students with a song simply titled “Thank You.”
The Cougar dance team presented a lyrical skit, read by Junior Eli McElhaney, following this song. The skit focused on the pain of those who must sacrifice when someone close like a mother, partner, or sibling, follows their call to the armed forces, as well as the difficulty of service members returning to society following their service. The band then followed with “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”
Brittany Parker gave a speech noting the importance of telling veterans in your life “thank you,” as one never knows what these people go through on a day-to-day basis. Junior Ana Chesley Robinson followed with a reading of scripture.
Senior Luke Bell presented the missing-man table, a table of items representing honor towards those who go missing or fall in combat. It consists of a round table with white cloth holding a Bible, a lit candle, an empty glass turned upside down, a lemon, a pinch of salt, and a rose in a vase with red ribbon. Beside the table sits an empty chair.
The Armed Forces Medley was observed before the program was closed with a prayer by senior Makaila Rodriguez and a moment of silence for those lost in combat.