Veterans Day

OGDEN -- They came in droves and small somber groups to cemeteries, parks, and schools in honor of the nation's military.

Weathered World War II veterans rubbed shoulders with fresh-faced, flag-toting Boy Scouts while proud parents silently prayed for the safe return of soldier sons and daughters serving in far-flung battle zones.

That star-spangled scene played out again and again at Veterans Day ceremonies held Friday throughout the Top of Utah.

RIVERDALE -- The Riverdale Veterans Committee is planning a flag-raising ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday. The Good Foundations Academy children's choir will perform, followed by light refreshments. The event will be held at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Riverdale Civic Center, 4600 S. Weber River Drive.

From raising funds for war memorials to participating in American Junior Red Cross clubs, students even in the early days of the Davis School District felt the impact of war.

Those associations with war continue today as students write letters to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, collect supplies for members of the military to distribute overseas, and watch parents and teachers deploy.

HOOPER -- Like so many veterans of World War II, Eldin Simpson rejects the hero status so many people want to attach to him.

His country needed every soldier it could train in 1943, and Simpson ached so badly to serve that he rejected the deferment his father had secured that would have let him stay home safe on the family farm in Hooper.

OGDEN -- This year's Veterans Day parade in Ogden could break some sort of record for grand marshals: Utah has more than 50,000 Vietnam War-era veterans, the Veterans Administration says, and they're all invited.