West Salem high school students and community members honored veterans of America’s military in a solemn, respectful assembly at the Heider Center Tuesday morning.

The affair began with the presentation of the colors and the singing of the national anthem. Principal Mark Carlson then gave a brief history of the day, reminding students how it began as Armistice Day after World War I but has since evolved into a day to honor veterans of all wars.

Next, Carlson introduced the day’s speaker, Mike Madawell. A West Salem graduate, Madawell has served with the army in Germany, Bosnia, Hungary and other duty stations around the world.

Madawell, an adjunct professor at Western Technical College, also has helped train 30,000 soldiers on terrorism and counterespionage at Fort McCoy. He reminded the students that soldiers close to their age are currently deployed all over the world.

“Why do they sign up when a war is on? If you ask, they will say ‘to serve my country,’” Madawell said. ‘I’m an American — my country needs me’ is what they say to themselves.”

Madawell then briefly summarized the wars America has been in from World War II on up to the conflict in Iraq, emphasizing the sense of duty of those who fought and sacrificed in those conflicts.

He concluded by noting that the common thread for all veterans was and is a love of country and a sense of mission.

After Madawell spoke, the ceremony ended with a traditional salute of gunfire and the retiring of the colors.