Published: November 11, 2009 08:22 am      

Berea schools honor veterans

BEREA — Students at Berea Community Middle/High School celebrated Veteran’s Day on Tuesday, honoring a group of veterans that included a few familiar faces to the roughly 650 students who packed the school gym.

The guest speaker was Bill Ramsay, 6th district commander of the Disabled American Veterans.

“Too many people take peace for granted,” Ramsay said during his speech. “It’s all too easy for people to forget World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and now the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

“It is our duty to keep the memories alive in the American people, not just on Veteran’s Day, but every day,” he added. “Keep the spirit of Veteran’s Day alive. Keep it alive every day of the year.”

The program, entitled “Honoring All Who Served,” began with the presentation of colors by the Madison Southern High School Junior Air Force ROTC.

Faculty and students followed with a series of performances and essays.

Berea Community High School choir director Candy Flynn, accompanied by daughter Abby, a senior at Berea, sang the “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Kim Centers, a faculty member at Berea Elementary, sang Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American,” the Berea Middle School Choir sang “Get America Singing” and the Berea Middle/High Combined Choir sang “Simple Gifts.”

Members of Sally Robinson’s advanced placement U.S. History class prepared essays to read to the 29 veterans sitting to the side of the podium.

Alex Todd, a junior, read from a piece titled “Freedom.”

Todd said “without freedom, human life is empty.” She thanked veterans for helping to ensure freedom in America.

Lilianna Bagnoli, a junior, read from “Service.”

She said that in serving their country, the veterans “sacrificed safety, the comfort of home and the companionship of loved ones and for this we thank them.”

The final essay, “Courage” was read by Emily Eckler, a junior.

She said that “our veterans inspire us to be courageous every day to overcome adversity.”

The program closed with a trumpet performance of “Taps” by junior Spencer Mattingly.

Before dismissing the students, Robinson pointed out that there were four veterans sitting among the students, referring to Gary Conklin, Superintendent of Berea Independent Schools, John Masters, principal of the middle/high school, Phillip Shackelford, a middle school math teacher and Charlotte Isaacs, a high school science teacher.

The announcement drew a loud ovation from the students.

After the program concluded, many of the students took advantage of an opportunity to greet the veterans.

Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.