BILLINGS — Will James Middle School held its annual Veterans Day assembly on Monday, welcoming veterans from around the country.
“I spent 22 months overseas in southeast Asia. It was a wonderful experience, one I will never forget and I would never change – it was for you," said Kent Thompson, a sergeant E-5 veteran of the Marine Corps.
The middle school provided an opportunity to share stories and words of wisdom from its veteran audience of honorees following speeches from guest speakers and performances from the school's music groups.
“Playing the marches, playing the national anthem - all those things remind the people gathered why we’re there," said Tony Hammond, a music educator at the school.
The day's events, for Thompson, evoked a recollection of memories from his time in the armed forces.
“My best buddy and I, on a lark, went into a recruiting office," said Thompson, "Both of us had it in our heads that we were going to go to Vietnam - and as it turned out, we did.”
