<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3aF5sW_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3aF5sW_1H167q1C00" width="1568" height="1176" ><figcaption>Kindergarten through third graders who welcomes veterans and guests, had to quickly move from the sidewalk in front of the school indoors when it began to rain. [Photos by Dave Clarke]</figcaption></figure>KEWANEE — Two high school students and a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan brought the message of Veterans Day to the Kewanee Veterans Council’s annual observance held Wednesday at Wethersfield High School.Each year the KVC asks Kewanee and Wethersfield high schools to select a senior to write and deliver a speech on the significance of Veteran’s Day.KHS senior Remy Hicks told how we often forget the people and events of the past that shape our future.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3r6qWr_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3r6qWr_1H167q1C00" width="960" height="1280" ><figcaption>Mayor Gary Moore compliments KHS senior Remy Hicks, one of two student speakers selected to address Wednesday’s Veterans Day service.</figcaption></figure>“The greatest tribute we can offer veterans,” she said, “is to recognize that their service was never confined to the years they spent in uniform. Its influence continues in the opportunities of the generations who followed and, in the futures people, have been able to imagine.”For Tinsley Newman, Veterans Day has a personal meaning. The 18-year-old Wethersfield senior was just 12 days old when her father, Sgt. Josh Newman, was deployed with the Kewanee National Guard to Afghanistan.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2tyWnG_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2tyWnG_1H167q1C00" width="960" height="1280" ><figcaption>WHS senior Tinsley Newman, had the unique opportunity to share the speaker’s podium with her father, Josh Newman, a veteran of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.</figcaption></figure>Too young to understand the world around her, she looks back now on what a difficult time it must have been for her family, dealing with a new baby and, at the same time, worrying about someone serving in a war zone.“It means having to be strong even when things are difficult…and never taking a homecoming for granted,” she said. “Every veteran’s service deserves to be recognized…but it is also important to remember the families behind those veterans who may not have worn a uniform but made sacrifices, too.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3UbY92_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3UbY92_1H167q1C00" width="1568" height="1176" ><figcaption>Above, the Wethersfield High School Choir, directed by Hannah Wiyrick sand the National Anthem to open the service. Musical selections were also provided by the Wethersfield High School Band directed by Patrick Wilson. Below, left, Veterans, family members and guests gathered around the refreshment table after the program and viewed a slideshow featuring photos of local veterans and service members. Below right, Kewanee Veterans Council service officer Jerry Thompson welcomes World War II veteran Harold McMahon who will be 102 in January.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=36h6Ui_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=36h6Ui_1H167q1C00" width="1568" height="1176" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4W6zly_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4W6zly_1H167q1C00" width="1568" height="1176" ></figure>Tinsley’s father, Josh Newman, the guest speaker, shared how joining the Illinois National Guard at 17, following in the footsteps of his dad, Jerry, changed his life.“Joining the Illinois National Guard wasn’t just about putting on a uniform, it was about making a commitment to something bigger than myself.”That commitment turned serious in March of 2004 when Newman was deployed to Iraq for a year with the Galva National Guard.“There’s something about being deployed in a combat zone that changes your perspective on life,” Newman said. “You begin to understand how important the little things really are. The people you serve with become more than just friends. You look out for each other. You depend on each other. You share experiences that will stay with you the rest of your life.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3GKcAd_1H167q1C00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3GKcAd_1H167q1C00" width="1568" height="1176" ><figcaption>Rain prevented the color guard from presenting the rifle salute outside but bugler John Blake was able to close the service inside with “Taps.”</figcaption></figure>In November 2008, Newman was deployed to Afghanistan, leaving a newborn daughter, Tinsley, and her mother, Melissa. That deployment lasted until September 2009 when Sgt. Newman came home for good, ending a 15-year career in the guard.He is now employed by the Illinois Department of Transportation and continues to support other veterans as an active member of Kewanee Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8078 where he is a member of the color guard. They also present the American flag at Kewanee Boilermaker home football and basketball games.“When we walk onto that field or court carrying the American flag, we are representing every person who has ever worn the uniform. We are also representing the families who supported them.” He added, “There are many ways to serve, and they all matter.”We're local. We're nonprofit. But reporting the news isn't free. Please support The Kewanee Voice with a monthly donation.</div></body>

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KEWANEE — Two high school students and a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan brought the message of Veterans Day to the Kewanee Veterans Council’s annual observance held Wednesday at Wethersfield High School. Each year the KVC asks Kewanee and Wethersfield high schools to select a senior...

Students, veteran share Veterans Day message at Wethersfield ceremony

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KEWANEE — Two high school students and a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan brought the message of Veterans Day to the Kewanee Veterans Council’s a

Students, veteran share Veterans Day message at Wethersfield ceremony

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