Veterans Given Special Recognition In Nowata

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

NOWATA, OK -- Nowata marked Veterans Day in a big way on Tuesday.  Each year Nowata honors veterans with an assembly at the high school.  Bigger towns have bigger events, but none have anything more meaningful to the men and women being honored.

Students made banners that lined the walls of the high school gym.  Children from the elementary school sang patriotic songs.  There was poetry and choruses and the colors were posted.  The veterans of Nowata sat in the center where every student could see them and say thank you.

"You know we say thank you when a store clerk hands us our receipt.  But, how do you thank someone for saving the world?  Let me tell you, as a veteran myself, those words, thank you, mean much more than you could ever believe," said CSM Dean Bridges with the 45^th Infantry Brigade.

Nowata recognizes veterans each year.  Teacher Lisa Kincaid, the daughter of a veteran who died this past year, puts it together.

"I think I just grew up knowing that this is important, and I felt like our students need to be a part of that," said Lisa Kincaid.

Nowata has veterans of each war since World War II.  Staff Sergeant Rodney Tunnison just returned from Iraq.

"I don't feel like a veteran with present company in attendance.  I think those are the guys who really served in Vietnam and World War II.  It's a different feeling to be recognized as a veteran right now, but that's what I am, and that's why I'm here," said Staff Sgt. Rodney Tunnison with the U.S. Air Force.

Nowata has old and young veterans and men and women still serving overseas.  When they come back, they can stand up, to be recognized, by a town that turns out school for a morning to say thank you.