“On the 11th hour… of the 11th day… of the 11th month… the fighting of WWI ended in 1918. Due to the conclusion of “the War to end all Wars,” November 11th became a universally recognized day of celebration”. Commander Shawn Wright’s opening words to the students at Covington High School as part of their Veterans Day assembly.
Today we honor all veterans. Where do we begin to express our gratitude? What do you say?
There are no words to adequately express our feelings to veterans today and every day for the sacrifices made to protect these Great United States of America.
What is a veteran? A “Veteran” – whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve – is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America,” for an amount of “up to, and including his life.” That is an honor. There are too many people in our country today who no longer understand that fact.
Imagine how you would feel at 17, 18, 19 years old drafted into military service and find yourself storming the beaches of Normandy! This was the story of the young soldiers who went to war during World War II in 1944. June 6, 1944, a day this nation will long remember and the many young men who gave their lives that day. It should be noted that these young World War II soldiers were all volunteers, none were drafted. One of those young men was Jimmie Monteith from our area. Monteith received the Medal of Honor for his sacrifice that day.
The White Table presentation is our way of honoring the Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIAs) who never made it home from the battlefield. We take the opportunity to honor 1st LT Gary Miller and Corp Michael Folland, two local young men who lost their lives in 1969 in Vietnam. Both young men were Medal of Honor recipients.
“As we honor our veterans and remember their great deeds, let us also salute those who are currently fighting for our freedom. The War on Terrorism has helped us all realize how truly unique the American way of life is,” said Wright.
If we want to preserve our freedom, we must all do our part to educate ourselves and our children on what it means to be an American. Another way is to volunteer in your community. There are so many ways to say, “thank you”.
We would like to thank Michelle Reid for inviting us to come into CHS and be a part of this special day. Ms. Reid is a Social Science teacher and a department chair at the school.
Mrs. Reid made the following statement “Our faculty and students alike were very moved by the Veterans Day program. Many students commented afterward on the information shared regarding our local veterans and the interesting symbolism displayed in the White Table presentation. Programs like these are so important to our community because they create a better appreciation of Veterans Day and, more importantly, a deeper respect for our veterans. Covington High School would like to sincerely thank Commander Shawn Wright and Nick Dressler for sharing their time and knowledge with us!!
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