North Plains students honor veterans Published Nov. 10, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Sahara L. Fales Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- North Plains Elementary School hosted a Veteran's Day program on Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Nov. 7, 2014. The students, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade, participated in several patriotic events in honor of our military members. "We wanted to do an assembly to honor our veterans and military families," said Wayne Strand, North Plains Elementary School principal. "We wanted to show that we understand the sacrifices they make on a daily basis." The program began with a story called "America's White Table" read by Col. Kieran Denehan, 5th Operations Group commander. As the book was read, the students assembled the white table on stage topped with a plate, rose, candle and other components that represent honor and valor, set on the table in remembrance of prisoners of war and those missing in action. As the story came to a close, boy and girl scouts took the stage to demonstrate how and why the American flag is folded the way it is. To end the assembly, students who were a part of the school choir gathered along the bottom of the stage to perform a song in honor of Veteran's Day. The program wasn't just to honor veterans, but also to educate the students on the importance of the holiday. With moms and dads being deployed for months, he hopes he can teach the students about the sacrifices their parents make to protect us, Strand said. Strand stated that his main goal with the program was to allow the students to show their respect to veterans and our military personnel.