It’s just a little white table to show one soldier’s lonely battle against many.

It’s has a white cloth to honor a soldier’s pure heart when he answers his country’s call to duty. A lemon slice and grains of salt are placed on a plate to show a captive soldier’s bitter fate and the tears of families waiting for loved ones to return. An empty chair is pushed into the table for the missing soldiers who are not here.

It’s called America’s White Table, written by Margot Theis Raven, who has worked in radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and children’s books for 30 years.

The White Table is set in many mess halls as a symbol for and remembrance to service members fallen, missing, or held captive in the line of duty. Solitary and solemn, it is the table where no one will ever sit.

It was read by Georgia Farrow, president of the Weatherly American Legion Post 360, at a program Friday morning to honor veterans in the gym at the Weatherly Middle School.

It was attended and put together by faculty, staff and students in all grades in the district

About 50 veterans - including World War II vet William Troell - attended. Troell was a Navy signalman on the USS Typhoon.

Harry Shelhamer of Weatherly spent 22 years in the Army, Marines and Navy, including 18 months in Iraq. “I was a hospital corpsman in the Navy, and a field corpsman in the Marines,” Shelhamer said. “It’s a progression.”

Sgt. Barry Snider, the chief recruiter at the Hazleton Recruiting Station, joined the Army in 1988 and was trained to operate the M-1 tank. He did two tours of duty in Korea, and three years ago transitioned to recruiting.

“It’s the best job I ever had,” Snider said of the tank experience. “Now, recruiting is he best job, because I get to share with young people the advantages of the Army.”

During his address, Snider talked about the various wars the country has been involved in, and how the military has responded to them.

Elmer Staffer of Weatherly entered the Army six months after graduating from high school, and served 20 years.

“For the first three years, I was in the airborne infantry,” Staffer said. “Then I spent six years as a heavy construction equipment mechanic, and then an M-1 tank mechanic. Then I joined the 509th, the (parachute) jump unit that was the first to jump in World War II in Tunisia, and made an amphibious landing in Anzio (Italy).”

Lee Baker of Weatherly, who served in the Air Force in Thailand, was wearing a Vietnam cap. .

“I asked the guy I bought this cap from, if it was OK for me to wear it, because I served in Thailand,” Baker said. “I didn’t want to disrespect. He said yes, because in Thailand we supported Vietnam. There was nothing like seeing a line of B-52s. I was 17. They were the best years of my life.”

Joe Thomas was in the Navy on a submarine, the USS Petrel.

“It was in combat communications command,” Thomas said. “One of my best friends was killed in Vietnam.”

The high school band and middle school/high school chorus performed “The Pride of America,” which is a medley of the theme songs of the various branches of the service. As the theme song of a particular branch was played, those who served in that branch were asked to stand.

Farrow said two Weatherly Area students, Natalie Nelmes and Taylor Jones, were national contest winners in the Poppy Poster contest.

Another auxiliary member, Georgeann Herling, explained the history of how Armistice Day became Veterans Day.

Becky McFadden, the school nurse - dressed in her husband’s Air Force uniform - sang the song Taylor Swift wrote about her grandfather’s service in World War II entitled “Epiphany,” accompanied by middle school/high school band director Daniel Derflinger.