IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – A total of about 200 5th graders from Iron Mountain and Kingsford schools participated in a hands-on civics lesson in preparation for Memorial Day. The activity was led by North Elementary School’s Principal Andy Mendini, and students marched to the Iron Mountain Cemetery alongside several classroom leaders to help the Office of Veterans Affairs place flags on each fallen veteran’s gravesite within the 40-acre cemetery grounds.
With over 2,400 veteran gravesites in the cemetery, Mendini emphasized the importance of the activity, stating, “We’ve been doing this, I think 2003 was the first year I got involved in it as a teacher. We had our 5th grade teachers help the office of veterans’ affairs put flags out… Normally, a lot of old-timers from the Legion used to come and do it. And it was just taking them a long time. Over the years now, it’s gone from just Iron Mountain 5th graders to Iron Mountain and Kingsford 5th graders.”
The students were in for a surprise when an active-duty soldier, Sergeant Cameron Weiman from the local U.S. Army Recruiting Office, joined them.
Weiman explained the significance of having army representation at the event, especially to honor soldiers who had died in combat. “It’s important to have army representation out here because there are soldiers who are buried out here who died in combat,” commented Sergeant Weiman.
Many students were taken aback by the presence of a uniformed soldier, with one student even asking him about his experiences jumping out of planes.
“I think a few of them were a little nervous to come up and ask, but one kid did comment on the parachute: he’s like, ‘did you jump out of planes?’ And I was like, ‘yeah’. He had some questions about that,” laughed Weiman.
As Memorial Day approaches, Iron Mountain’s Memorial Day Parade is set to kick off at 8:45 a.m. CST on East Ludington Street, with a ceremony at the Dickinson County Courthouse at 9 a.m. The parade is expected to conclude around 10 a.m. Participants in the parade are expected to line up by 8:30. The event serves as a poignant reminder to the students that Memorial Day is more than just a day off, but a time to honor and remember the sacrifices made by those who have served our country.
Sergeant Weiman’s local U.S. Army Recruiting station is located at 1311 S. Stephenson Ave. Suite b.
