Those who showed up late Monday morning to a Veterans Day assembly at Columbine Elementary School had to stand.

The Woodland Park school’s gymnasium was packed with kids, parents, veterans and other members of the community and fully adorned in red, white and blue to celebrate the holiday. Patriotic banners with handprints from each Columbine student framed the stage that had speakers, a musician and Woodland Park Mayor Dave Turley honoring American heroes.

Veterans in attendance received a card with a handprint from a preschooler at the school, principal Veronica Wolken said.

“It’s an honor to be honored,” said Rick Francis, a 57-year-old retired Navy Vietnam veteran.He stood proudly Monday when a guitarist played Anchors Away. “This whole thing is very emotional for me. I can’t believe this community got together like this. It’s a real treat.”

Francis has three adopted children who attend Columbine, he said. His son Jake Francis, a Cub Scout, was part of the color guard which presented the flags of Colorado and the United States at the beginning of the assembly.

The assembly opened with greetings from Wolken and the school district superintendent Dr. Jed Bowman. It quickly segued into a rousing ceremony that featured students singing and sharing what they learned from their own interviews with veterans.

Turley spoke just before a slideshow featuring photos of veterans who were related to Columbine students or were members of the Woodland Park community. The mayor, a and Air Force Vietnam veteran, addressed the vets who filled the first three rows of the audience, saying “You are all true American heroes and I salute you for a job well done.”

After the assembly ended with the playing of Taps and a moment of silence for fallen veterans, Wolken greeted the community into a reception in the school’s lunch room.

The principal, in her first year at Columbine after 14 years at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, said these events are important for the kids to “honor, recognize and touch with their hearts.”

“It’s their past. It’s their roots,” Wolken said. “It’s what contributes to their identity.”

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Contact Matt Steiner at 636-0362 or follow him on Twitter @gazsteiner.

Students at Columbine Elementary School in Woodland Park sing “America the Beautiful” during a Veterans Day assembly Monday (Nov. 12, 2012) morning in the school’s gymnasium. Photo by MATT STEINER, THE GAZETTE

John Pritchard, a Navy veteran, performs a medley of patriotic songs Monday morning at Columbine Elementary School in Woodland Park. Photo by MATT STEINER, THE GAZETTE

Woodland Park Mayor Dave Turley addresses a gymnasium full of students, faculty, veterans and community members during a Veterans Day assembly Monday at Columbine Elementary School. Photo by MATT STEINER, THE GAZETTE