To honor military veterans on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, the annual Veterans Day ceremony began at 11:00 a.m., at Grove Hill Cemetery, N. High Street, Morrison, IL, at the Veterans’ Park memorial.
As a new feature, participants were asked to face the east by Jerry Brearton. The reason was explained by Fred Steele after the service. When the WWI armistice–cease fire agreement–was signed, it ended fighting between the Allied Powers and Germany on the Western Front. Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne (France) after the location in which it was signed, “The Armistice” began November 11, 1918, at 11:00 a.m. (French time), “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” Actually, the cease fire pact was agreed to by representatives of France, Great Britain, and Germany six hours earlier, at 5:00 a.m., with the first term of it being that fighting would end at 11:00 a.m. The signing of The Armistice took place in French Commander Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage, in the Forest of Compiègne, about 37 miles north of Paris.
Although “armistice” is used as a term to describe any agreement to end fighting in wars, “The Armistice” commonly refers to the agreement to end the fighting of the First World War. This agreement was a prelude to peace negotiations. Although not formally a surrender, it indicated a complete defeat for Germany. The Treaty of Versailles would end the conflict on June 28, 1919.
Retired Morrison Fireman Bill Swanson sounded the “fire whistle” across the town, signalling a silent tribute.
A three-round rifle salute was fired. In formation left-to-right are Navy SEABEE 1st Class Petty Officer Dennis VanZuiden; Ken Petersen with the American Legion Flag; Ron Wiersema with The Colors; Jeff Steele; Fred Steele walking past the men; riflemen Phil Schroeder, Terry Jones, Robert Brands, Chief Petty Officer Jerry Brearton, Bob Atherton, and American Legion Commander Dale Usterbowski.
Earlier, several men attended a veterans ceremony and breakfast at Windsor Manor Assisted Living Community and visited Morrison Schools.
Carolyn Aiken played “Taps” to conclude the ceremony. She has contributed these poignant tributes for 47 years at Memorial Day events outside of Morrison, Veterans Day, and military funerals, or “whenever I am asked, if possible,” she stated.
Uwe and Diana (Smith) Lassen, Clinton, IA, took the opportunity to adorn the graves of her family with winter floral arrangements. Matching, gray granite stones lie side-by-side facing east, at the east end of Grove Hill Cemetery. William and Grace Wiersema were Diana’s maternal grandparents. She is the only child of Marie (Wiersema) and Robert Smith. Her grandparents farmed south of Prophetstown, IL, she stated, and her father worked at Snell-Smith Funeral Home, Clinton.
