Winton children call on Merced County veterans

Fifth-graders at Winfield Elementary School in Winton plan to serenade veterans during their annual performance on Thursday.

The students and their teacher, Barbara Beltz, are looking to get the word out and invite as many veterans as possible to the musical called “Our Heroes,” which celebrates servicemen and servicewomen. There are two performances planned – one at 9:30 a.m. and one at 6:30 p.m. – Thursday at Winfield Elementary, 6981 Chestnut Lane.

“We’re especially hoping to honor World War II vets because they’re leaving us,” Beltz said.

The choir of mostly 10-year-olds held a full dress rehearsal last week, where the girls wore poodle skirts and the boys wore uniforms. They sang “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B,” “God Bless America” and a medley of armed forces theme songs.

The performance goes through the history of wars and conflicts in which the U.S. military has been involved, and the fifth-graders will pause occasionally as the show honors veterans of different eras.

Beltz said the annual attendance averages about 300 people between the two performances. She said anyone is welcome to come to the roughly 30-minute show.

For more information, call the school at (209) 357-6891.

This story was originally published November 3, 2014 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Winton children call on Merced County veterans."