Area residents- including numerous veterans- filled the Rotunda, while elementary school kids and the Marshall High School band were on the upper floor- to provide the National Anthem and other musical tunes- of the Saline County Courthouse to pay tribute to men and women who have served and are serving the United States during a Veterans’ Day Ceremony on Monday, November 12.
Malta Bend Memorial American Legion Post 558 Adjutant and retired U.S. Navy Captain Stephen J. Olson was the featured speaker. He talked about how the armistice that ended World War 1 went into effect 100 years ago at 11 a.m. on November 11. He said there was a ceremony held on Sunday, November 11, to mark the time.

Dennis Desmond, of Marshall VFW Post 2646, said America did not enter World War 1- which had started in 1914- until April 1917, but it still suffered a lot of casualties.

Desmond later read the names of the 39 fallen soldiers from Saline County.
After the ceremony inside the courthouse, the outside portion included a 21-gun salute; the playing of TAPS on the bugle; and the releasing of red balloons by the elementary students in memory of the poppies in Flanders Field- now an American Cemetery and Memorial near Waregem, Belgium.

Students from area schools released red balloons as part of the Veterans’ Day Ceremony held at the Saline County Courthouse. (Photo by Robert King)