On March 6, veterans were guests of the Northwest Elementary School for a flag ceremony and luncheon. The fifth-grade class, which was assigned the ceremony as a class project, acted as our hosts. Following the Presentation of the Colors by the Marine Corps League from Butler and the flag raising by members of the fifth-grade, we enjoyed lunch.

During lunch, we were able to view a video/slide program created by other students concerning the flag. I found this rather rewarding because a couple of years ago I was involved with presenting Flag History/Etiquette/Protocol classes to the third and fourth graders. This was part of the detachment’s Americanism/Education Program and now I was able to witness some of the results.

Following the lunch, the veterans were divided into groups and were interviewed by teams of fifth-graders. In addition to being asked about our personal thoughts concerning our nation’s flag, the questions asked during the interviews were varied. The topics covered ranged from combat duty in Vietnam to situations you might encounter in Marine Boot Camp to working on the president’s helicopter, Maine One.

At times it was somewhat difficult to remember that you were being interviewed by a fifth-grader. The questions were well thought out and asked in a very professional manner. They would periodically confer with each other to ensure accuracy and spelling.

Thank you for a job well done, Northwest Elementary students.

James A. McMullen, adjutant, Bantam Marine Detachment No. 743, Butler