Nick Clemmer, who is co-coordinator of Joshua Dixon Elementary School’s All-Pro Dads program, served in the United States Army for three years, including a 15-month tour in Iraq.

Clemmer explained that he signed up while he was very young, so had little insight of what his promise to protect the U.S. truly meant but he quickly learned what service represented.

In addition to discussing the importance of military service, the also shared that veterans carry that sense of duty and loyalty long after the uniform comes off.

“It is something that can never be taken from you, less than 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the armed forces. It takes a special person to sign up to go through the things we endured,” Clemmer explained. “During my deployment in Iraq, I saw things that tested my values every single day. There were long nights, hard losses and moments when all we could do was depend on each other.”

Featured speaker Nicholas Clemmer addresses attendees of the Columbiana Middle/High Schools Veterans Day assembly Friday. Clemmer had served as a U.S. Army specialist in the Iraqi theater before relocating to Columbiana, where he is a volunteer with the school system and local athletics. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

He then brought the discussion back to students.

Service doesn’t have to be limited to joining the military right now.

“Service comes in many forms. You can serve your community, your school, your family or your country in countless ways…You just have to make choice every day that lift other people up, that protect what’s right, and that makes the world a little better than you found it,” Clemmer concluded.

Prior to Friday’s joint assembly, CMS hosted their breakfast in the middle school cafeteria while CHS hosted theirs in The Commons area before convening to the auditorium.

Joshua Dixon Elementary School will hold its Veterans Day event on Tuesday starting at 9:30 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to invite veterans or family members to eat breakfast with them in the multi-purpose room before fourth-grade students will perform and carnations will be distributed.

Columbiana Middle School administrators welcomed veterans and their families to Friday morning’s breakfast prior to a joint Veterans Day assembly in the auditorium. Pictured are assistant principal Rich Cyrus and principal Jason Martin. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

After enjoying breakfast with students, attendees convened to the auditorium where middle school and high school students offered a Veterans Day assembly with Clemmer as the guest speaker and various musical selections in addition to posting of the colors by the American Legion Post 290 color guard and a slideshow salute to veterans with the cooperation of the Columbiana PTO.

Clockwise from left, veteran Joe Forte is joined by his 11-year-old son Tyler and his wife Deidre all of Columbiana Friday morning while the young family had breakfast prior to the school district’s middle and high school assembly. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

Megan Morer, 18, delivers breakfasts to a veteran and guest during Friday’s breakfast at Columbiana Middle and High School’s Veterans Day event. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

Victoria Buckingham, 16, delivers breakfasts to a veteran and guest during Friday’s breakfast at Columbiana Middle and High School’s Veterans Day event. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)