Creede honors vets, both past and present

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CREEDE— On Friday, Nov. 10, residents and service members gathered at Basham Park in Creede to honor veterans from around the world for their service.
The Creede Choir could be heard practicing for the day’s celebration all along the sleepy Main Street in town, singing songs dedicated to the country and the men and women who have bravely fought for freedom. The day began to warm as people started to gather, bringing their gratitude for these brave souls and to show their appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives and for the ones who were lucky enough to come home.
In the past several years, the country has seen some of the most horrific acts of terror in recorded history and a humbling sense of gratitude hung in the air. As the time for the celebration drew near, local veterans gathered at the top of Main Street to make the walk along the town street down to the park where they took their seats among family and friends. Since Creede normally hosts the celebration on Veteran’s Day, which fell on Saturday this year, the crowd was smaller, but those present made the day one to remember for the Veterans in the area.
Keynote speaker Ray Dellenbaugh thanked the veterans in attendance for their service and spoke the names of those still serving and the ones who gave their life for their country. As in years past, Dellenbaugh invited the crowd to speak of additional men and woman that were not on the list and took a moment of silence for the ones who were unable to come home.
In addition to the Friday celebration, the Creede School also hosted their own Veteran’s Day celebration on Monday, Nov. 13 serving local vets breakfast and honoring them with presentations, songs sung by several students and staff members. The event was well attended with more than 50 veterans from the area gathered at the school to enjoy a morning of honor.
Superintendent Lis Richard was pleased with not only the amount of people who attended, but with the performance of the students and staff. “I spoke with several of our vets and everyone really enjoyed the celebration.” Students presented the colors and then after the Pledge of Allegiance, the Creede High School Choir sang the “Star Spangled Banner” before students gathered to serve the attending veterans their breakfast which was prepared by local Chef Malcolm Sneed and Assistant Chef Jackie Stone.
At the end of the ceremony, student DeAunn Dodson played “Taps,” an instrumental song that is typically played at veteran services and celebrations. The school plans on keeping the breakfast as a yearly tradition.