Though the tornado put an end to Veterans’ Day observances for Greensburg students being held in the Twilight Theatre, last week’s gathering in the temporary school’s practice gym was memorable in its own right.
Highlighting the afternoon ceremony was the presentation of an American flag from an Air National Guard unit out of Wichita back to the community—a flag turned over to personnel of the 134th Aircraft Control Squadron by a Greensburg resident shortly after the storm following its discovery near the battered County Courthouse.
Lt. Colonel Michael Tokarz, commander of the 134th, presented the flag to Kiowa County Commission Chair Gene West after telling the students and faculty a “citizen” of the community had turned the flag over to his unit while they were engaged in cleanup.
“We took it back, sewed it up, cleaned it up, folded it again, and now we want to give it back to you folks,” Tokarz said.
Noting Tuesday marked the ninetieth anniversary of Armistice Day, when the document was signed November 11, 1918 bringing World War I to an official end, Tokarz read a Carl Sandburg poem, “The Answer” after telling the crowd, “In Greensburg you have a vibrant future. Because of that I’m pleased to present to you this flag that survived that terrible storm, because you have survived as well.
“It’s now 18 months since that tragic day, and your resiliency is evident all around town today. It takes more character to stick with it than to walk away.”
Adjutant Quartermaster of Greensburg’s VFW Post 6156, Mike Case, not only acted as emcee of the event but later presented to USD 422 Elementary Principal Staci Derstein a plaque to be displayed at the school until his Post can rebuild a permanent facility.
The plaque was presented to Case September 7, the concluding day of the visit to Greensburg by members of New York’s Fire Department making up the New York Says Thanks Foundation’s efforts in raising the Show Barn at the County Fairgrounds.
Post 12033 in New York is make up entirely of firefighters according to Case, who told the gathering he’d had the plaque in his house for the past couple of months before deciding “it needs to be somewhere else. So I’m presenting it to the school where people can see it all the time until we get a permanent home for our Post.”
The past and future of military service was also on display, half a dozen veterans standing for recognition when asked by Case to do so. The ceremony was ended by recognition of Greensburg High senior David Ahrens, who has committed to join the Marines upon graduation next May.
Greensburg, KS —
