Your view: Effort appreciated

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Veterans Day celebration. Bloomfield opened the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in order to honor and recognize America's 25 million living veterans and the millions who sacrificed their lives to protect and preserve our country.

On Oct. 12, a dedication ceremony was held for the Veterans Cemetery. Among the attendees were the JROTC students of Charleston High School. Students attending included: Charity Ward, Brandon Branigan, Maurice Davis, Burnadett Jones, Jessica Mays, Kendall Campbell, Shanika Bogan, Frederick Fleming, A.J. Bedoy Ashley Jackson, Atori Moton, Shytoria Davis, Richard Jackson, Michael Walton, Chi-Lok So, J.B. Small, Natalie Knupp, Michael Robinson Jr., Marquel Murray, Mickie Martin, Amy McCameron, Nathan Stokes and Shauntel Moore. Major Ross V. Robey, Charleston's senior Army instructor, said, "I fell that the ceremony greatly impacted the students by demonstrating what true patriotism is."

Construction for the Missouri Veterans Cemetery began on May 1, 2002. The 38-acre area contains a total of 11,747 plots. The cemetery also features a Carillon music tower, walking path and small pond. The Veterans Cemetery is located on Highway 25 and is beside the Stars and Stripes Museum. The Missouri Veterans Cemetery will ensure that our veterans are honored and remembered throughout the entire year, just as Anthony Principi, secretary of Veterans Affairs, hoped.

Marissa Van Robey