Ed Mattes from the Riverside VFW Post No. 6414 holds the American flag during Veterans Day ceremonies at the Riverside Casino on Monday. The ceremony moved inside due to the snow and cold. The indoors ceremony concluded with the playing of Lee Greenwood’s “I am Proud to be an American.” Several of the veterans in the audience stood and saluted during the song. The slot machines in the casino fell silent as casino customers moved toward the ceremony in the casino’s entrance, some wiping away tears as the song played.
Rich Franks fires his rifle during the salute. At right, Mike Duwa was the bugler.
Jim Johnson
Following the indoors ceremony, the VFW color guard carried the flags outside where a three-person rifle guard fired a salute and a bugler played “Taps.”