BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

Children thank veterans

As part of Veterans Day activities in Merrill, Merrill area schools will again be recognizing and celebrating local veterans and thanking them for their service. All veterans and friends of veterans were/are welcome to attend the school programs. Contact individual schools for specific information about their events and procedures. All veterans organizations are invited and encouraged to attend and show their colors.
Some schools held programs earlier in the week, such as St. Francis Xavier Catholic School which honored veterans with an afternoon program on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Most schools scheduled their program for Thursday or Friday, with programs as follows:

• Nov. 9: Prairie River Middle School @ 8:30 a.m.
• Nov. 9: Washington School @ 2:00 p.m.
• Nov. 10: Kate Goodrich School @ 8:30 a.m.
• Nov. 10: St John Lutheran School @ 10:00 a.m. (Following the program, lunch for all veterans and families/friends will be served.)
• Nov. 10: Merrill High School @ 1:05 p.m. and 2:05 p.m. (approximate)

Public Veterans Day recognition

Public ceremonies to honor veterans will be held on Veterans Day, 2023–Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, as follows:

• Nov. 11: Cenotaph Park Ceremony including VFW Honor Guard rifle salute @ 11:00 a.m. (Held at Cenotaph Park, 301 Grand Ave. in Merrill on the corner of Hwy. 64 and N. Prospect St. Cenotaph Park is a memorial park dedicated to Veterans of our country.)
• Nov. 11: Honorary street sign dedication @ 2:00 p.m. (at the corner of Spruce St. and E. 6th St.), being dedicated in honor of Lt. Robert Russell who was an Army Air Corp flyer during World War II (WWII). He was shot down and killed. He is one of just four Lincoln County service men and the only city of Merrill resident who is listed as Missing in Action from WWII.
• Nov. 11: Veterans Memorial Cemetery dedication @ 3:30 p.m. at St. Francis Cemetery at Thielman St., honoring all Lincoln County war time veterans who died in service.

Private gatherings

A private social and viewing of a new Never Forgotten Honor Flight display, followed by a meal for veterans, will be held later in the day at the Northwoods Veterans Post but is limited to those who made advance reservations. Private donors are making those events possible.