by Thaddeus Flint
For Memorial Day this year New Lebanon High School presented its first ever celebration on Friday for the military veterans from New Lebanon.
American Legion Post #1236 and the James E. Callahan Vietnam Veterans Chapter 65 Presented the Colors. The National Anthem was beautifully sung by student Juanita Eaton. Student Meredith Lukas explained the flags used for the ceremony. Student Kyle McHugh explained the history of Memorial Day before the New Lebanon School chorus performed “You Raise Me Up.”
Cory Bazinet then explained his journey from New Lebanon to Afghanistan and Iraq. His first attempt to join the Army as a journalist was unsuccessful. He had failed a typing test, and the recruiters told him to choose a different profession. He chose not to join and was in a rock band for three years. After that he went back and said, “I want to be in the infantry.” There was no typing test for this, and he was accepted. He was attached to one of the most well known units of the Army, the 82nd Airborne Division, and learned as he said, “To fall out of a perfectly working aircraft.” Soon after was 9/11, and his unit was sent first to Afghanistan and then later to Iraq.
The New Lebanon High School band then performed “The Caisson Song” and “You’re A Grand Old Flag.” Then students Ryan Lowe, Nick Pauley and Ben Cassavaugh performed the Flag folding ceremony. Taps was then played twice by student Ben Burgess after which science teacher Glenn Giumarra went through a slide show of New Lebanon veterans. After the American Legion and the Vietnam Veterans chapter had retired the colors, New Lebanon High School Principal Leslie Whitcomb closed the ceremony saying “to the veterans and serviceman who are here, thank you so much.”
