Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation, under God, indivisible, 

with liberty and justice for all.

West

1a: (Lydia)  Welcome to the 2024 Veteran's Day Celebration Performance at Waverly Belmont. Tonight we will sing songs that honor the men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom.

1b: (Barnes)  If there are any veterans in the building right now, would you please stand up? Let's all give a round of applause for these people who have risked so much for us.

1c: (Eleanor) In 1814, a young United States was again in a fight with the British. The outcome of this war would determine if the U.S. could make it as a nation.

1d: (Ruby) The British Navy had taken the capitol city, and had set it's sights on destroying a very important military post in the Baltimore Harbor called Ft. McHenry.

Rackoff

1e: (Aria) A young lawyer and amateur poet names Francis Scott Key had been sent to negotiate the release of an important American. He was being held as a prisoner on a British warship.

1f: (Owen) Mr. Key went out on a little boat to the ship, and he was successful in getting the British to release the prisoner. But then they said that before anyone could get off of the ship they would have to watch the British blow up Ft. McHenry with bombs and rockets.

1g: (Shirley) The battle lasted all night long. Explosion after explosion shook the fort, lighting up the night sky. But every blast proved that America would not be easily defeated.

1h: (Carmac ) By the morning, the British had used up all their weapons to no effect. The American Flag was still waving proudly, and Ft. McHenry was miraculously intact.

1i: (Beck) Francis Scott Key wrote a poem about the experience that later became our national anthem. Please stand as the WB 3rd grade students sing it.

Russell

3a: (Wendy) That was "My Country Tis Of Thee", written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. It uses the same melody as Britain's Royal Anthem, but substituted words about a young and hopeful America. 

3b: (Evangeline) Before long though, America began to produce it's own original music forms, and continues to do so up to today. 

3c: (Bryson) John Phillip Sousa was a composer in the late 1800s who became the 17th director of the United States Marine Band. He pioneered the form of music that we call the March.

3d: (Ellie) The phonograph was invented during his rise to fame. Recordings and performances of his music went around the world.

3e: (Everly) Being a soldier is about having discipline and precision. It's about knowing your role and working with others to get a hard job done.

3f: (Charlie) We're going to celebrate the precision and discipline of our military forces to John Phillip Sousa's most famous march, "the Stars and Stripes Forever".

Davis

4a: (Mila) Irving Berlin was one of America's all-time most beloved songwriters. His songs and musicals started becoming hits around 1911 and dominated the American music scene for the next 50 years.

4b: (Kennedi ) Irving Berlin was actually a Jewish immigrant whose family had escaped persecution in his home country of Russia. He was keenly aware of the value of freedom in America. And he appreciated those who fought to preserve those freedoms.

4c: (Davis) God Bless America was written in 1918, while he served in the United States Army. But it was not released until twenty years later when famous singer Kate Smith recorded it. The lyrics were changed first to hide Mr. Berlin's republican party leanings, so that all Americans could appreciate it. 

4d: (Rose) God Bless America has been sung by hundreds of artists now for over 8 decades. It eventually became known as the "unofficial national anthem".  We hope you enjoy our performance of this American classic.

Morton

5a: (Amelia G) While God Bless America celebrated the prosperity and opportunity of our nation, there was actually a depression going on. Woodie Guthrie came from a family that was hit hard by those terrible times. He saw the nation through a different lens.

5b: (Tro) "This Land Is Your Land" was written to push-back. Guthrie thought Irving Berlin's music represented capitalistic Americans that had forgotten the common man. Guthrie's lyrics communicated much more left-leaning, democrat party ideas.  

5c: (Sullivan) Thoughout his life Guthrie used music to protest injustice and to raise awareness of the plight of the common man. Nevertheless, to make the song acceptable to all Americans, he softened up the lyrics just like Berlin did. 

5d: (Evalee) We hope you like our version of this famous folk song, updated for a new generation.

6a: (Claire) Everyone in this room knows people who have made the personal sacrifice to serve in the defense of our freedom. We've come to the part of our performance where we need to bring it home. 

6b: (Sunny) If you served in the Armed Forces at any time in your life, would you please stand up one more time? This part is personal - because YOU BELONG TO US. And we want you to know how much we love you.

6c: (Elizabeth) In 2010, Michael and Angela Souders wrote a song that captures perfectly what we all feel toward you, our friends and family who serve. With hearts full of gratitude, we dedicate this music and video to you.