High school honors local veterans

Hundreds filled the Columbia Falls High School gym Friday as the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society hosted its annual Veterans Day Assembly.

All branches of the military were represented by members of the crowd as Columbia Falls High School paid tribute to all of those who have served this country.

After the presentation of the colors by members of the Army National Guard and the singing of the National Anthem by the CFHS Sonifers, the winners of the elementary schools Veterans Day Essay Contest recited their essays.

Fourth grader Alexa Friske reminded everyone that everyone can be a hero every day. Third grader Evelynne Dorr spoke of how heroes experience fear, but find ways to overcome it. Second grader Charlotte Brents spoke about her parents, who both served in the military while fifth grader Soli Bullemer spoke of how veterans are bold people and summed them up in two sentences – “Veterans are amazing in a way that no one can say. They are the most kind-hearted, thoughtful people.”

After a salute to all veterans living in the Montana Veterans Home and those at the Beehive Assisted Living Home, the school honored three special guest veterans.

Bob Adams served in the Air Force as staff sergeant during the Korean War and moved to Columbia Falls from his home in St. Paul Minnesota after leaving the military. Adams worked at Plum Creek and also helped build the Hungry Horse Dam before taking a job at the aluminum plant in the 1960s. After that, he spent several years working for Bonneville Power until his retirement.

Jim Crow was born in Oklahoma in 1924 and left his parent’s farm at the age of 18 to join the Army in 1942 during World War II. His first posting was in Casablanca, Morocco in North Africa before being transferred to Naples, Italy. From there, he was transferred again and participated in the Normandy Invasion of France in June 1944, where he was awarded a purple heart (his second of the war) after injuring his knee during the assault on Omaha Beach. After the war, he and his brothers wanted to move to Alaska to find work, but ran out of money in Montana, where he has lived ever since.

Jack Dunne grew up in Butte and joined the Army Air Corps in World War II at the age of 17. Weighing only 126 pounds at the time, Dunne did not meet the requirement of 134 pounds to join the Air Corps, but after three times through the line at the recruitment station was allowed to sign up. He flew on numerous missions in the Pacific as a tail gunner on a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he worked as a smokejumper before becoming a sixth-grade teacher in Hot Springs before moving to Whitefish to continue his teaching career.

School District 6 employee Hank Donovan was honored near the end of the assembly when he was presented with the Kerel Hagen Award, presented each year to a school employee in memory of beloved government teacher and veteran Kerel Hagen. Donovan, who has provided building maintenance and grounds keeping for the district for the past 13 years, served in the Army from 1988-91 with the 4th Battalion, 41st Infantry, 2nd Armored Division. During his time in the Army, Donovan guarded the Berlin Wall in Germany and served as a front-line combat mechanic during Desert Storm. Donovan received the Army’s Achievement and Commendation Medals for becoming the first person to change out an automatic transmission M113A3 armored personnel carrier while in combat. Originally from Anaconda, Donovan has lived in Columbia Falls for 18 years.