On Tuesday, May 26, WMC honored the five fallen alumni that gave their lives for the country. The tribute was delivered in the form of a ceremony outside of the school, where a tree was planted and dedicated to these five veterans. It truly was such a special event, bringing different aspects of the WMC community together and bridging the school with Long Valley in commemoration of the past.
The event opened with the WMC Wind Ensemble playing the “Armed Forces” Medley of songs that honor each six branches of the military individually. This was used to welcome any veterans, town members, students, and administration attending the ceremony. Once everyone was settled, the choir sang “The Star-Spankled Banner” during the presentation of the colors. This provided two of the three music groups with the opportunity to get involved with this ceremony, increasing the school participation. “I think it brought a lot of different parts of the school together.” said senior Owen McCoy, a band student that was involved in the ceremony.
Following the musical aspect of the ceremony, Edward Twomey, a veteran, came forward to speak on his experiences volunteering for the country, reflecting specifically on what Memorial Day means to him. This prompt allowed him to pay a touching tribute to his friend that he lost in the military and honor those that he knew that gave their lives.
At this point, the WMC History Club took over to read the names and give some information about the five fallen alumni honored at this ceremony. These alumni are as follows: PFC Stanley Dennis Prommer, Lieutenant Allison Speirs Berry, SFC Larry Maysey, PFC John Lance Lindaberry, and CPL James “Jamie” Edgar Smith Jr. These five veterans were each represented by a WMC student in the History Club that spoke about the individual.
During the ceremony, the tree was repeatedly mentioned for the symbolism and the reason it was planted. A magnolia virginiana was planted right outside of the school in remembrance of these veterans. Across America, this is the tree that is known as a living tribute for the fallen and it is this specific tree that grows in the graves dedicated to American wars. It was noted during the ceremony that this species is older than the country of America, speaking to the rich history this plant holds.
However what makes this tree especially meaningful is the flowers it bears. Every Memorial Day, white flowers will bloom and the scent of the flowers will be present. White is the color of honor and sacrifice, so it is so fitting that these will bloom every year around the time that we honor those who sacrificed their lives for this country. “ They didn’t just choose a random tree to plant. They really did their research,” said Axel Barnett, a student in the history club.
It is both the touching symbolism and mass student involvement that made this event such an essential event for the WMC community. Combining the band, choir, history club, and local veterans really allowed so many people to be witnesses to this touching event. Fortunately, thanks to the tree, this will not be a moment that WMC will forget, nor will they forget the veterans that dedicated their lives for America.
