The theatre of war is not a pretty place. Men and women leave their homes in the costume of their army. Sometimes they return, if they are fortunate, with medals pinned to their chests after experiencing first hand on the field of battle scenes best left to the stage. But conflict does occur and Veterans Day honors those who gave their lives and their expertise to their country in its time of need.

On Lopez Island, since there is no school on Tuesday, Veteran’s Day, the community honors their veterans in a ceremony that takes place at the Lopez School on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 12:30 until 1 p.m. All veterans from San Juan County have been invited and each will be presented with a letter thanking the veterans for their service. . The Lopez School arranged the students’ schedules so that children could meet with the veterans from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on the day of the ceremony, so that the two groups can meet and speak candidly to one another about their personal experiences.

Stephanie Fowler will start the proceedings with the national anthem and during the assembly, each veteran, whether having served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the conflicts in Iraq and Operation Desert Storm, will be recognized and given a letter of appreciation. Then a list of veterans’ names who have passed on will be read. Afterwards, Veteran Richard Fagan will provide the keynote speech to the assembly to explain Veterans Day and offer his own personal insights.

Afterwards, luncheon will be served to all veterans in attendance to celebrate and honor their sacrifices as well as to provide a time for the students and veterans to mingle and share ideas and experiences.

The public is welcome to attend the event.