‘We owe them all’: Spanish Fork, Salem fifth graders learn from veterans at Richard Johnson Memorial Freedom Walk
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- Veterans and students salute the flag during the Richard Johnson Memorial Freedom Walk on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
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- Two veterans salute the flag while another plays a bugle during the Richard Johnson Memorial Freedom Walk on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
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- Fifth grade students take a photo with Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson during the Richard Johnson Memorial Freedom Walk on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Spanish Fork.
“We don’t know them all, but we owe them all,” read the backs of hundreds of fifth graders at Canyon View Park donning matching gray shirts Wednesday.
It was a message veterans from American Legion Post 68 in Spanish Fork aimed to imprint upon the young minds attending the ninth annual Richard Johnson Memorial Freedom Walk, an event established to teach the young generation about military service and how individual freedoms do not come freely.
“In fifth grade, they are learning about American history. But in American history, they’re not talking about where their freedom comes from,” American Legion member Randy Jensen said.
Dr. Richard Johnson, a local Spanish Fork dentist who served in the Vietnam War, started the Freedom Walk in conjunction with the Spanish Fork City Council and the Nebo School District nearly a decade ago. Jensen said Johnson’s original idea was to have veterans line the walk at Canyon View Park along the river as kids walked by.
At Johnson’s funeral in 2020, Jensen presented a flag representing Johnson’s service to his wife, Anna Lee, who told Jensen after the service he should continue the event.
“I said, I will. So I’ve taken it for the last six years,” Jensen said. “Spanish Fork City, Nebo School District, American Post 68 and all these veterans all pitch in.”
The event has morphed into a workshop of sorts for all the Nebo School District fifth grade students who file into the park.
Prior to the field trip, each student completed a brief report on a veteran, equipped with a photo that is attached to a large poster and displayed at the “honor wall” at the Freedom Walk. Many students choose family members who served — a great-grandparent or a cousin — while others choose a famous veteran, like George Washington.
Then, the students arrived for the field trip and rotated around six different stations run by veterans who taught about patriotism, their experiences, and why they served their country. Kids are also taught how to honor the flag and watch the veterans perform a mock military funeral, where taps is played and a 21-gun salute is performed.
“Kids are able to listen to the veterans and they are able to ask questions,” Jensen said.
Fifth graders attending Wednesday received an additional experience: They were greeted by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who spent time discussing the importance of civil liberties and responsibilities that are afforded to citizens thanks to military veterans.
“We are all in this together, and we have to be united in purpose,” Henderson said. “United in the defense, in the love and the reverence of our county, our state and each other, and our communities.”
Henderson opened the discussion to the audience, asking kids what they could do to fulfill their civic duty.
“Pick up trash,” one girl said.
“Helping people cross the street or with their groceries,” said a boy.
“Help people who fall down get back up,” added another boy.
“I love that,” Henderson responded. “There’s so many things that we can do right now to make sure you’re doing your part to preserve our freedom, and honor our flag and all that is stands for.”
Jensen hopes the Freedom Walk has made an impression on the many local students who have attended it over the last several years.
“This affects our youth now and onwards,” he said. “I’ve had other students who were here seven years ago, say ‘I remember that to this day, coming up there and visiting with the veterans.’ So it helps them learn about freedom and learn about the freedoms that we have, and helps them be more attentive to what’s going on around them.”
