?Joy and good memories'

Jim Sheppard has been attending the Winton

Elementary Pearl Harbor Day presentation for as long as he can remember. The World War II Navy veteran didn't attend school at Winton himself, but his mother-in-law and his kids did.

"I like when the Andrews Sisters sing," he said before the performance, referring to the re-enactment the students do of a popular singing trio from the 1940s. "I love all the singing and dancing."

Sheppard didn't know it yet, but he, and all the other veterans in attendance, were in for a special treat.

The play followed two kids who learn about the government and history of the U.S. from their grandparents who went through World War II.

The "grandparents" talk about the freedom in the U.S. and the military system in place to keep them.

Students sang the national anthem and the anthem of all the branches of military. Each veteran stood for the anthem of the branch he or she served in and saluted the performers at the end.

There was even a presentation by local resident Judy Hannah, whose mother went through the heart-wrenching process of receiving a gold star because her husband was wounded in battle.

Then, the Andrews Sisters came out. Six fifth-graders dressed in World War II-era attire sang and danced to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." For a special surprise, the elementary students were joined by middle and high school students who had the honor of being the Andrews Sisters when they were in fifth grade.

Dallas Dixon, an eighth-grader at Lakes Magnet Middle School, got to come back and dance in the play. He missed his opportunity in fifth grade because he was sick the day of the performance.

His sister, Devon Dixon, a seventh-grader at Lakes Magnet Middle School, also came back to perform.

"I love to see the vets' faces," she said. "I like seeing their smiles and joy and the good memories they get."

After the swing dance performance, students presented medals they had made to all of the veterans in attendance. The soup-can-top medals were painted red, white and blue and decorated with stars. Some said ?Thank You,' others read ?U.S.A.'

Nancy Mueller, the music teacher at Winton Elementary who organized the performance, said she couldn't be more proud of her kids.

"They worked so hard," she said. "They always step up to the plate when it's time."

Chuck Riffel, a Korean War veteran, was so touched at the honor students gave to the country and its veterans that he felt compelled to speak at the end of the performance.

"I am almost speechless," he said to the full gymnasium. "We owe you our thanks for everything you are doing here for us and our country. I think our country is in great hands."