H2O Youth Group and Harding Host Memorial Day Remembrance

[Gary Rice]

On Thursday, May 24, the youth volunteers of H20 and Harding Middle School hosted a remembrance ceremony to mark Memorial Day activities. Guests of honor included our area military veterans who were served breakfast, followed by a ceremony attended by the student body.

Of particular note was the presence of three former Lakewood educators, all of whom had served in the Second World War. Maynard "Doc" Unger, former Garfield teacher, had been an Army Air Corps radio operator on a B-17, who had been shot down over Germany and spent nearly 2 years as a P.O.W.. Dr. Richard Dutro had served as a teacher and an administrator for the Lakewood Schools, and had also served with the U.S. Army in Europe. Robert Rice had been a Lakewood music teacher, as well as a band, orchestra, and choral director at Harding School. Rice served with the 336th Army Band, and with the Chemical Warfare Service in the American Theater of Operations.

In a touching moment, Harding band director Brian Griebel introduced his own father, the well-known jazz musician Buddy Griebel, who was also a WWII Army veteran. Director Griebel also introduced Mr. Rice as having been his predecessor at Harding; the two men having provided 59 consecutive years of uninterrupted musical instruction at that school.

View my photoblog here:

http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... morial-day

[David Anderson]

Gary –

Thank you for posting this story. It was a tremendous event and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting at a table before the program with Maynard "Doc" Unger and three additional distinguished veterans. Their service stories are truly remarkable. Mr. Unger, the veterans I met and all others are still serving in a way as they inspire others to want to do more.

I enjoyed talking for a bit with you and your father as well.

I do hope we all have a safe and thoughtful Memorial Day weekend.

[Gary Rice]

Councilman Anderson:

Thank you for your kind words.

Dad and I were happy to visit with you, and very pleased to see you again at a second Lakewood gathering honoring our veterans (many of them, residents) in a short span of time. (So that others will know, we recently saw you at the volunteer recognition breakfast, as well)

It''s wonderful when leaders of our community, and our local government, take a proactive interest in the many good and positive things that are happening around this beautiful city of ours.

Thanks for taking the opportunity to continually engage with our community as you have on this 'Deck, and with these sorts of public events.

The better that we all get to know each other, the better this community becomes.

Back to the banjo...

[Gary Rice]

I just had to bump this thread back up to the top of the 'Deck, so as to remind people that the Lakewood volunteer youth group H20, as well as others, will be placing over 3,000 flags on the graves of veterans today at Lakewood Park Cemetery. The amount of deceased veterans in the Lakewood Park Cemetery alone, serves as a staggering reminder of the selfless and continual service that veterans have provided to our country, so that the rest of us could live in safety and peace.

[Emmie Hutchison]

Gary,
Thank you for bumping this thread. We had a great turnout Saturday for the grave decorating event. All told, I think there were over 60 people participating, most of them H2O youth. It was a proud and reverential event.
Thank you Councilman Anderson for coming to Thursday's breakfast at Harding and for speaking at the assembly. Your support is greatly appreciated!