PORLOCK first school had a very special guest of honour for their Remembrance Day service last Wednesday.

The staff had managed to track down Mary Schaller, the daughter of one of the American soldiers who lost their lives when their plane crashed on the Porlock Marshes in 1942.

Mary flew in from America with her husband Marty as the guest of honour for a service held at the US Airmen's Memorial on Wednesday, November 11 at 10.45am.

Children from Years 3 and 4 at St Dubricius First School attended the ceremony along with staff, members of the church and wider Porlock community, and the service was led by Clergy Rev Bill Lemmey, Rev Justine Richards and head teacher Chris Blazey.

During the service Mrs Schaller read out the names of the lost crew, including that of her father and assisted by the children, she laid a red rose on the memorial for every member of the crew.

Mrs Schaller explained that the blood red, long stemmed rose, was a symbol of Remembrance for American forces and she also laid a small American flag.

A special poem was written for the occasion by Colonel Arnie Porter, a retired forces chaplain who is a friend of Mr and Mrs Schaller.

The service was also attended by a Burma veteran, 93-year-old Bill Wood, who read the Kohima Epitaph.

Mr and Mrs Schaller spent the day before the service with the school and spoke to the children about life in America at a special assembly.

They had brought many gifts for us with them including story books, stuffed toys, Native American wampum beads and flint arrow heads, which Mrs Schaller used all of these to help explain about life in America.