AMVETS Post 3 Color Guard conducted the prelude and posting of colors at the Veterans Day Program at Washington School in Valley City. From left are Bernard Elsner, Ken Evenson and Barnes County Veterans Service Officer Jim Verwey. The other Color Guard members (not pictured) are Gary Schlagel, Richard Grenz, Dave Lokken Sr. and James Riden. At right is veteran, Lyle Bjone. (Jean Schlegel/VCTR) 

By Jean Schlegel
Valley City Times-Record

The eighth annual Veterans' Day Program held on Nov. 6 at Washington School, Valley City, honored veterans, law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Sixth grade teacher, Sandy Goeller, has organized the event since its inception. The program started  in 2000 with about 40 members who were honored, and it has grown every year. This year, there were 63 names read off, with a brief history of those being honored.
Retired Col. Al Schuldt was the guest speaker again this year. His honored guest was 1st Lt. Wyman Galbreath from Enderlin. Schuldt spoke for Galbreath because his hearing was damaged during WWII, and he is nearly deaf. Galbreath and his radio man had their earphones on to listen to the radio for important information, when their huge antenna was struck by lightning, causing a large noise in their ears, nearly deafening both of them.
As a B17 bomber pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, one of Galbreath's jobs was rescue and search for missing planes. He was on duty the day the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Schuldt said Galbreath should be honored because, "He gave up an awful lot."   
Schuldt wore his late uncle's WWII Army uniform to the Veterans Day Program. Schuldt's uncle was Archie Rolfzen of Eckelson, who served in Europe as a liaison pilot. He died in 1959.
Schuldt read what former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had to say about honoring veterans. Eisenhower was also a top general during WWII.
"Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting and enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."
Schuldt served four years in the Marine Corps where he was a sergeant from 1970 to 1974. He served in Japan and Okinawa. Upon returning to Valley City, he attended Valley City State University and enrolled in ROTC. He received his commission to second lieutenant in 1978. He served in the North Dakota National Guard from 1974 to 2005 when he retired as a colonel.
The prelude and posting of colors was led by AMVETS Post 3 Color Guard members: Gary
Schlagel, Richard Grenz, Dave Lokken Sr., James Riden, Bernard Elsner, Ken Evenson and James Verwey.
These introductory remarks about why the American veterans are honored were read by sixth-grader, Jacob Miller from the Washington Student Council.

For full story, see Tuesday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.