OCHS welcomes veterans for annual celebration

[caption id="attachment_31248" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Veterans salute during the presentation of the colors and the singing of the National Anthem.[/caption] Ohio County High School holds many events for students and the public throughout the school year, but its annual Veterans Day celebration is one of the very best. For several years OCHS opens its doors to veterans for a special luncheon for them and their families followed by a special program of recognition. The program is hosted by Lt. Col. Mark Lathem, who is the instructor for the Ohio County JROTC program, and the event is coordinated by the JROTC students. This year the guest speaker was Barton D. Darrell, the president of Kentucky Wesleyan College. [caption id="attachment_31249" align="aligncenter" width="582"] Kentucky Wesleyan College President Barton Darrell speaks to the veterans and students at Ohio County High School.[/caption] While Darrell isn’t a veteran, he used his time at the podium to thank all veterans for their service and to talk about a very good friend of his who is a veteran of the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. Lathem thanked the veterans and their spouses for all they have done for our country, as veterans from each branch of the military were recognized “While you may not want to be thanked or feel you need to be thanked for your service, we thank you for being here so the students can show their appreciation,” Lathem said. The OCHS Choir began the program by singing the National Anthem and the OCHS Band also performed. [caption id="attachment_31250" align="aligncenter" width="582"] The gymnasium at Ohio County High School was at near capacity for the annual Veterans Day program.[/caption]