On Monday, Nov. 11 at 0800 hours, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lloyd Ridings Post #6238 held a small, but significant, flag assembly for Superior Elementary School on their playground.

Teachers, students and school administrators stood in orderly lines with hats removed to watch the flag being raised and then recited the Pledge of Allegiance. VFW member Ron Anderson read the history of Veterans Day as it began as Armistice Day to celebrate the agreement between the Allied nations and Germany to cease all fighting during World War I that took effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. He also shared the differences between this holiday, Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day and others meant to horror those who served in the U.S. military.

Students had made "Thank you for your service" cards, drew pictures of the American flag and other drawings that they presented to the members of the Honor Guard as everyone entered the building to have breakfast together in the school cafeteria. 

Prior to the formality, Byron Quinlan, Superior Elementary School Dean of Students, was rolling the portable PA system to the flagpole and said that he was very pleased this ceremony was taking place for the student body. 

“I’ve been working with Jim (DeBree) on a scholarship. A Sophie Miller Scholarship and it was during that time that we talked about having Jim round up some local veterans to come in and do a presentation for the kids on Veterans Day. He suggested his VFW Post and it all came together.”

DeBree and Dan Arnsan have both been members of VFW Posy #6238 for around 20 years. 

“There hasn’t been a Veterans Day ceremony for a couple of years at Superior Elementary. I don’t think we ever missed one before then,” remembered Arnsan, as the pandemic interruptions are still being awakened.  

The post has about 35 members and DeBree explained why it was named in honor of Lloyd Ridings. 

“Kay Strombo (Mineral County Historical Society & Museum) and I did some research on Lloyd Ridings because there wasn’t much history on him. And it was a very sad discovery. He was in the Army Air Corp and taken as a prisoner of war in Bataan in the Philippines during World War II. Like so many that died on the famed Bataan death march, he became very ill, but he made it to a camp where they found out that he had appendicitis. The Japanese untied him from the other prisoners and threw him to the side of the road. He was run over into the mud by vehicles and trampled upon by guards marching American prisoners to another internment camp. After the war his body was discovered, and he was buried right there, and a large monument was placed at the spot that is reportedly still there today telling his history. Kay found out that he grew up in Tarkio.”

    Students, teachers and administration from Superior Elementary School participate in a Veterans Day ceremony conducted by VFW Lloyd Ridings Post 6238 on Monday. The students gave the Honor Guard drawings they had made for the occasion as everyone had breakfast in the school cafeteria. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
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