Veterans from the Traer area stand as taps is played during a Veterans Day assembly at North Tama High School in Traer, Iowa, Tuesday, November 11, 2025. PHOTO BY AUTHOR

TRAER – More than a dozen area veterans were recognized on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, at an assembly at North Tama High School.

Before the assembly, veterans and their families were invited to a breakfast in the gym lobby. Eighth-graders served the breakfast. On the tables were colored-in “Thank you veterans” drawings from young students. Homemade cards also were given to the veterans.

Leonard Boerm, who served in the Navy and Naval Reserve in the 1960s, loved the breakfast and seeing “a bunch of old guys.” He said those present swapped stories and reminisced about “the good old days.”

North Tama social studies teacher Quentin Lamb led off the assembly. He thanked the veterans seated in front of him. “Democracy is a fragile thing and we must remain united and vigilant,” he said.

The band played the national anthem, senior class president Lillea Cluts gave a welcome to the veterans, and six students sang “Homeward Bound” by Marta Keen.

Shannon Svoboda, far left, gives the keynote address during a Veterans Day assembly at North Tama High School in Traer, Iowa, Tuesday, November 11, 2025. With him on stage are, from left, Ian Wheeldon of Frontlines United, Chris Wilson of Frontlines United, Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt, and North Tama social studies teacher Quentin Lamb. PHOTO BY AUTHOR

The keynote speaker was Army 1st Sgt. (Ret.) Shannon Svoboda, North Tama Class of 1999. He spoke of the history of Armistice Day, which originally marked the end of combat in World War I in 1918 and became Veterans Day in 1954.

“The men and women – and let’s not forget their families – who sit before you today served their country, answered the call to protect their country and fight for the freedom that we have to this day. It is through their courage, perseverance, and selfless service why we have a lot of what we have,” Svoboda said.

He asked groups of students by grades, in turn, to repeat what he called “four pillars of success”: leadership, motivation, accountability, and selfless service.

“This is call sign Dakota Seven signing off for the day, first in, last out, godspeed.”

Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt spoke about the local Frontlines United organization. “We decided the best way we could give back every day, not just one day a year, is to facilitate reunions for military veterans, active duty, and first responders,” he said.

The North Tama high school band plays the national anthem for a Veterans Day assembly at North Tama High School in Traer, Iowa, Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The band also played a medley of armed forces service songs. PHOTO BY AUTHOR

“We can’t thank veterans enough and we need to make sure that we’re championing, with what we do, the veterans and their service, because everybody that’s sitting here, their rights, their lives have been defended by everybody who’s served in this great country.”

“Me personally, it’s every day we should be thanking our veterans, and not just on this day alone,” Schmidt concluded.

The microphone was then passed to each veteran to share their name, branch, and years of service. The veterans’ service was from the Vietnam era and later. Traer’s last World War II veteran, Roger Corbin, died last year.

David Podhajsky served in the Navy from 1961-64, finishing “with a New Year’s Eve paycheck.” He enlisted and served as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Salamonie, which was a fleet oiler that fueled other ships. His time on the Salamonie was spent all around the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, with visits to many of the countries on those bodies of water.

The North Tama band played the “Armed Forces Service Songs” medley and members of each branch stood in turn. Two band members then played taps in remembrance of all members of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who lived to share the lessons of service with all of us.

Jeff Morrison is the writer behind the website “Iowa Highway Ends.” He grew up in Traer and now lives in Cedar Rapids. A version of this column was originally published in the Between Two Rivers newsletter on Substack, betweentworivers.substack.com. It is republished here through the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Please consider subscribing to the collaborative at iowawriters.substack.com and the authors’ blogs to support their work.