Poplar Recognizes Veterans Day

Veterans Day in Poplar was recognized with a flag-raising ceremony and other events on Thursday, Nov. 11.

Gary Martell and Demiree Russell fought off extreme windy conditions to raise the American flag at Poplar’s Veterans Memorial during the morning.

Volunteers raised the other seven flags located behind the American flag.

Another highlight was the Fort Peck Sioux Singers performing while the flags were being raised.

Barry Bighorn of the American Legion noted other events during the day included veterans receiving T-shirts and coins.

A free turkey meal for veterans was served from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the tribal building. The meals were provided on a “to go only” basis because of COVID concerns.

A monument at the Veterans Memorial in Poplar reads, “The Fort Peck Reservation is the home of the proud Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. They have provided the United States of America with an extremely high ratio of military participants in time of adversity. From the time of the historical frontier wars to the Vietnam era, these men and women have defended and died for their homeland during peace time and war. These monuments are a humble and perpetual symbol of appreciation to those ancestral and modern day warriors and service people who alongside their non-Indian comrades unselfishly gave their life defending the preservation of freedom. It’s growing list of Indian men and women symbolizes their personal sacrifice that enables us the living to continue to live in the freedom that they also cherished.”