The St. Viator School Community came together this Veterans Day to honor our nation's veterans, and to remember those who have died serving our country. Students gathered at the memorial plaque for Corporal Charles "Chip" Kefer, Jr. to retire our flag and raise a new one.
Dr. Rieger led the ceremony with the assistance of Mr. Rieger, Mr. Bangiola, Curriculum Director, and students. Mae and Lena, from the 8th Grade, assisted as our Color Guard, and read parts of the program.
Our new flag was blessed and raised! And everyone honored the new colors by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. Rieger, a Marine Corps. veteran, led the retirement of our old flag. He followed the Flag Code and the American Legion resolution of1937 where, "The approved method of disposing of unserviceable flags has long been that they be destroyed by burning." Members of the community were invited to bring their unserviceable flags for retirement, ensuring all of the flags were retired with dignity and respect.
The ceremony concluded with students placing smaller flags around our campus flagpole.
Many people helped make our ceremony happen. We thank Lieutenant Soboleweski and the firemen from Station 108 who ran a fresh cord for our flag; ours broke in the recent high winds. We thank Alderwoman Ruth Cruz and her office for contacting the Office of Emergency Management and Communications to facilitate the firemen's work. We thank the officers from the OEMC for helping keep everyone safe during that task.
We thank the Rieger family, for everything they contributed to the event. Thank you, Dr. Rieger, for crafting an intentional, respectful ceremony. And to Mr. Rieger, for his military service, and his continued service to St. Viator school. We appreciate that he shares and demonstrates meaningful, respectful ways of exercising patriotism. Thank you to their son, Aaron, who assisted with the new flagpole rope. Thank you to our 8th grade students, Mae and Lena, for approaching their roles in the ceremony with respect.
Thank you to Mr. Bangiola for moving the ceremony through important steps and modelling reverence in action. We are grateful to the alumni who joined us, connecting us to our school's rich history. And for our visitors, from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and local media outlets, thank you for sharing our ceremony.
The ceremony was a beautiful tribute to the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces. In light of Corporal Kefer (and countless others') sacrifice, we stayed aware of the phrase, "All gave some, some gave all." We are grateful to our veterans, today, and always - we will never forget.
May you have a blessed day today, and every day. Thank you for your service.
We are Peace Builders; We are Eagles; We are St. Viator!