North Royalton resident William Senger spends most Veterans Days quietly reflecting on the past with his wife, Betty. But this Veterans Day, Senger, a veteran of the Korean conflict, stood proudly alongside his granddaughter, a sixth-grader at Saint Albert the Great School, as he took part in a commemorative Veterans Day Military Salute on November 10 at Saint Albert the Great Church.
As part of the sixth-grade social studies curriculum, students at Saint Albert the Great School research and seek out a veteran to interview. In most cases, the students are learning and hearing for the first time of personal accounts of combat and life in the military. Following their interviews, be it using Skype video chat, the telephone, or a face-to-face discussion, students outline the information they gathered and compose an essay. To culminate the project, sixth graders gather alongside their Veteran, if possible, to honor them with a special worship service at Saint Albert the Great Church followed by breakfast, narratives, patriotic song, and remarks from school and civic organization officials.
“It’s an honor,” Senger said of his attendance at the Military Salute. “And it’s always been an honor to serve.”
This year, four inaugural $400 scholarships were awarded to students whose essays particularly stuck out. The scholarships were awarded by parishioner Mike Swallow, a founding member of The Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism (NEOPAT), an organization dedicated to promoting patriotic acts that serve to deepen the sense of patriotism locally.
“We don’t want to lose this generation,” Swallow said. “This generation is losing touch with what makes America great. We celebrate Veterans Day one day a year, but I challenge you students that the next time you’re out anywhere and you see someone in uniform, to walk up to them, shake their hand, and thank them for their service.”
At morning Mass, Pastor Edward Estok assisted in presenting two Quilts of Valor to Sarah Barbo-Nielsen, a former Army captain, and resident and veteran Wally Ohler of the Veterans Relief Organization of Ohio. It was Barbo’s mom, Barbara, a teacher at Saint Albert the Great School, who first started the special commemoration event at the school each Veterans Day.
“This journey is about love and kindness, and the heart and soul of this country are the people,” Ohler said. “We need to cast aside the pretenses that guide us and continue delivering love and acts of kindness.”
Select students were picked to read their essays aloud to the crowd gathered. One girl spoke of her grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran, who worked on a large ship and dropped the anchor, which weighed more than 6,000 pounds, as one of his daily duties. Another student wrote of her grandfather, who enlisted in the military at age 18 and trained in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Another shared accounts from her uncle, a Kosovo veteran. All of the sixth graders’ essays were on display for attendees to read, as well as military memorabilia. At the conclusion of the event, veterans gathered for a photo.
“It touches my heart to see these young kids care so much,” said Mike Vislosky, a North Royalton resident and Vietnam War veteran. “To keep children from losing touch, I would say it takes several small steps and to let them know what it takes to keep this country free, and that freedom is granted because of the efforts of the military. Freedom is not free.”
Social Studies Teacher Sandi Lepi remarked how much she learns each year from this project and the essays that students compose.
“I’m constantly inspired and amazed and I love the connect they have now and the understanding they have of the sacrifice,” Lepi said.
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer