The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial is the final resting place for more than four thousand American service members. They were part of the Allied campaign to defeat fascism in Europe.
I had the privilege of participating in a ceremony honoring them today.
As a U.S. Army Reservist, I am currently on a deployment support of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, stationed in Vicenza, Italy.
The Veterans Day event in Florence was a lifetime highlight for me. Proudly remembering the courage, commitment, sacrifice, and continued service of Army Veterans across all generations.
At the monument are inscribed these powerful words from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower:
Freedom from fear and injustice and oppression is ours only in the measure that men who value such freedom are ready to sustain its possession and to defend it against every thrust from within or without.
In Alpine School District we are proud to honor those men and women who were ready to sustain the possession of freedom.
Veterans Day is a unique opportunity for all of us to reflect on those values. And it's an opportunity for our students to learn through various activities across our district.
Westfield Elementary: Superintendent Rob Smith, a retired Army officer, keynoted the school assembly about unity and helped students symbolically stitch together a flag by linking arms. Superintendent Smith said, “We are all stitched together as Americans. As we stay connected and respectful we can withstand the winds of any adversity that comes our way.”
Forbes Elementary: Family members who are Veterans attended a breakfast at the school and interacted with students of all ages.
Lake Mountain Middle: Dozens of Veteran family members joined their students to eat lunch while the choir sang patriotic songs in the student commons.
Hidden Hollow Elementary. Every student created a unique piece of art to combine into a huge school mosaic flag, which they hung as part of the Veterans Day assembly. Assistant Principal Jessie Cannon said the kids are having a blast finding their art in the flag.
Skyridge High: Veterans from the community are invited to a dinner gala in the student commons area on Nov. 11 at 5:30 pm.
Harvest Elementary: The school created a “Hero Wall of Fame,” and invited Veterans to the school to spend time with students at recess.
Vineyard Elementary: Each grade learned a patriotic song and performed it for the guests. Guests were invited to visit their grandchild's classroom where they shared what school was like when they went to school. The Veterans were honored in the assembly, which Principal Lori Belliti hopes will become a tradition. “We hope now that every Vineyard Elementary student knows what Veteran's Day means and feels a little more grateful than before we planned this event.”
Fox Hollow Elementary: My deployed team members and I presented virtually from our base in Italy. It culminated a weeks-long adventure of their school mascot, RIDER, who arrived at the school on a secret mission to help students better understand their school values.
These are just a few of the activities that educators, parents, and community members in our district made happen.
While I am stationed overseas for several months, I enjoy staying connected to students, teachers, and schools in Alpine School District. It is so fun and gratifying to see students in all grade levels learn about the meaning of military service through Veterans Day recognitions in our schools. It's an honor to serve, and that honor is bolstered knowing that our students are getting experiences for deep learning about how to serve others and be good citizens.
