OBSERVER Photo by Mary Heyl On Friday morning, area veterans proceeded into the Gowanda Elementary School gymnasium, where students and teachers gathered to recognize their service.

GOWANDA — On Friday hundreds of students in Gowanda Elementary School’s gymnasium gathered together to host one of the largest Veterans Day celebrations in the area.

For more than a decade, Gowanda Elementary School has invited local veterans to attend a special ceremony in their honor, and Friday’s event was one of the most well-attended yet. Mr. Jacob Swanson’s high school saxophone ensemble played the National Anthem as approximately 70 veterans from almost every branch of the U.S. military proceeded into the gymnasium on Friday morning. There, teachers and students in grades pre-K through four welcomed, many of whom are students’ family members, with cheers and applause.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson and Elementary School Principal Carrie Dzierba welcomed the honored guests to the assembly, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. In a salute to the veterans, students sang the official songs for each branch of the military. Fourth grade students shared readings on the history of Veterans Day, including why and how Americans celebrate it. Originally known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day commemorates Nov. 11, 1918 when fighting ceased “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” thus ending World War I.

Kindergarten and first grade students sang “America,” which was followed by another set of readings by fourth grade students. Students shared original pieces about veterans in their families, including their branch of service, years of service, and sacrifices. Second and third grades students sang “America the Beautiful,” and fourth grade students sang “God Bless America.”

At the close of the ceremony, Anderson thanked all of the veterans in attendance, and the entire elementary school sang the closing song, “Thank You Soldiers.”

“Thank you so much for being here today,” Dzierba said. “We are so grateful for what you’ve done for our country: for our past and for our future.”

Following the recessional, veterans lined the elementary school hallways, where students thanked them and shook their hands on their way back to their classrooms. Veterans from nearly every war or conflict over the last 60 years were present, as well as one World War II veteran.

Friday’s ceremony was planned and organized by Dzierba, teachers Karie Bugenhagen and Michelle Hanes and the Gowanda Elementary School Character Education Committee, with support from the buildings, grounds and cafeteria staffs.

While honoring area veterans has long been a tradition at Gowanda Elementary School, the district recently unveiled the Military Wall of Honor in between the middle and high schools to showcase current military members who are graduates of Gowanda Central School.