Veterans lead life lessons in Mission

ST. IGNATIUS — Four United States Armed Forces veterans visited St. Ignatius High School last Wednesday afternoon to share a story, give students insight to the true meaning of the flag draped coffin and to teach students the little-known specifics on how and why the military folds the American flag 13 times for its fallen soldiers’ widows and widowers.

Every one of the 13 folds has a purpose: from the first, which symbolizes life to the last, which stands for the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.”

Principal Jason Sargent said the school has a long-standing relationship with area veterans and he tries to invite them to the speak every year around the Veterans Day holiday. The first year, Sargent’s own father visited from Libby to give a talk to the students.

“It was really meaningful,” he said. “There is a lot of information and protocols about veterans that students, and even teachers, don’t know. It’s good to pass that on to young people so they can carry it on.”

Sargent admits he never knew the specifics of a flag folding in his youth, and even veteran Gene Sorrell agreed.

“I never knew the meaning of the flag, I just thought that was how it was done,” he said.

One year, Sargent said he made the mistake of sending the St. Ignatius police out the door leading the school’s homecoming parade. An honest mistake at the time, he now knows and will never forget again that America’s veterans don’t follow anyone in a parade.

“When we see a parade, we have the choice to take our hats off and respect our veterans. We have that choice because of people like this,” Sargent said to the students during the assembly.

After the flag folding lesson, veteran Homer Courville told students the story of Simone Renaud, the mother of Normandy, whose legend began on the fateful day of June 6, 1944.

In the weeks following D-Day, she took it upon herself to decorate the graves of some 15,000 U.S. troops who were buried in three temporary cemeteries around the town, Courville read.

When Life Magazine printed a photograph of her decorating one of those graves – that of General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., a founder of the American Legion – thus began a 44-year relationship between the French mother and thousands of U.S. families who wanted to know if she could care for their sons’ graves too. She spent the rest of her life writing letters, sending photos and organizing ceremonies with those who’d lost loved ones at Normandy.

“Ladies have always been a big part in our lives whether we’re away at war or at home,” Courville said. “Now Normandy is an international celebration of the power of good over evil.”

As the assembly came to a close and classes filed out of the high school gym, one student broke away from the rest of his class and walked over to the four veterans, said thank you and shook each one’s hand.

Many of his classmates followed and a line formed from in front of the bleachers.

“It says a lot about our kids,” Sargent said. “The kids learned a lot. They can listen and be respectful to our vets. Now those 250 kids know what it all means, and they need to know that.”