Recently we were invited to an event at Marysville Pilchuck High School honoring veterans who died during wartime conflicts. Our uncle, James Dockendorf, was being honored at the ceremony, and we were very fortunate to be invited to such a moving tribute to the veterans.
We went to this event thinking it would be a small dedication to the veterans and then we would be on with our day. To our great surprise, we were greeted in the parking lot by the JROTC members, and escorted to our seats in the gymnasium where the students of Marysville-Pilchuck were seated waiting our arrival. The dedication ceremony was conducted in the most prestigious and gracious manner we could have envisioned. We could tell that Mr. Pankiewicz and the DECA students had spent two years planning and creating this memorial. The work they did was absolutely amazing. The students who spoke at the memorial captured our hearts and brought the memories of our loved ones back to life. When the ceremony concluded, we walked over to the memorial and we were both moved to tears.
In addition to providing a respectful and honorable dedication memorial, we wanted to compliment the students of Marysville-Pilchuck on their respectful behavior during the memorial. Marysville should be proud of its high school students. After the ceremony ended we talked with some students about the memorial. They were very proud and appreciative of the work that had been accomplished.
We were honored to be part of this wonderful memorial service. We would like to thank the staff and students of Marysville-Pilchuck for honoring the lives of the war veterans. The vision brought forth on this project took years to create, but it was worth the wait. The memorial is an amazing tribute to the courageous veterans who gave their lives to protect freedom.
FRED and SHIRLEY DOCKENDORF
Stanwood
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