Veterans are Honored at SRHS

On Nov. 8, the students and staff of Shore Regional High School celebrated living in the “Land of the Free,” because of the brave. The school held their annual Veteran’s Day Celebration to allow all students and staff to take part in the history of America and thank veterans for their service.
Veterans started the day by entering into a patriotic building, decorated by Mrs.Grace-Anne Bertolami, an Art Teacher at SRHS. They continued with breakfast treats baked by Mrs. Susan Moran and her students, along with an American Flag sheet cake and cookies for lunch. Next, the veterans were divided into four different break-out sessions throughout the school.
“It’s not often that we’re surrounded by so many people who are passionate about recognizing our country and what it stands for,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Peter Bruccoleri, who was integral in organizing the annual event. “We recognize veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made and they continue to make every day. It’s important to remember the actions that have taken place and the sacrifices they’ve made to preserve our way of life.”
In the auditorium, several distinguished veterans gathered to discuss their experiences in the wars in which they served, and discuss what being a veteran means to them. The session began with a somber flag salute by the ROTC members, followed by an inspiring performance of the National Anthem by children from the Gingerbread House Nursery School.
Meanwhile, in the RTO, veterans Mike Quilty, Don Davison, Dan Higgins, Michael Quilty, and Joe Leone showed students actual items and memorabilia from their time serving in Vietnam.
Seniors Elizabeth Weeden and Mary Kate George were looking through photo albums that the veterans brought to share.
“The photos definitely showed a new perspective. We got to see their everyday life, which is harder to understand,” explained Weeden. “It’s easy to forget that they were our age.”
George, who was helping with the event for National Honor Society, agreed that seeing a photo album is a great primary source that students do not typically have access to.
“A lot of them were in high school when they were drafted or enlisted, so it’s really fascinating to see what being a teenager was like during the Vietnam War,” George added.
In room D-10, Mr. Jeffrey LaBush and his Advanced Placement Psychology students facilitated veterans Army Staff Sgt. Lawrence Seymour, Army Major Joe Bambach, and Army Lt. Colonel Matt Horn to discuss PTSD and how it affects both veterans and their families.
Army Staff Sgt. Seymour, who served in Iraq and Kuwait, shared about the time he was talking to his family on the phone and the line went dead.
“If you’re talking to family and get disconnected, it’s the worst feeling,” Seymour said. “I have issues with PTSD, I’m not afraid of admitting it. My job accepts it, they’re proud of my actions, they talk to me about it. As long as you get help, that’s why I’m able to talk about it.”
Nearby in room D-9, a round-table discussion was held with veterans Army Specialist E4 4th Class Private Rich Smeltzer, Army Private Michael George, Quartermaster 3 U.S. Coast Guard Joe Foster, and Machinist Mate 3rd Class in U.S. Navy Gregory Martinez.
Smeltzer, who served in Vietnam, told the students to be grateful for everything they have.
“There is some nasty stuff that goes on out there, so appreciate what you have and be thankful,” he said. “In the service, in combat situations, the guy next to you depends on you for his life, and you depend on him for your life. It’s a bond that develops in the military. You are there for one purpose: to complete a mission, to look out for one another, and it gets pretty intense at times.”
Among the additional staff members who assisted were Mr. David Osis, Mike Whitacre, Jeff LaBush, Andrew Ker, and Mike Bennett as session facilitators, Dave Attilio, who got the student chorus ready to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” - both acapella. Attilio also worked with his IB students as they played some background music on the guitar and piano during breakfast. Mrs. Tracey Anders took pictures during breakfast and during the entire event, and Mrs.Sue Tranchina and her students filmed and edited the footage. Mrs. Allison Cronk, Cecilia Ross, and Kim Partenfelder lent NHS and Student Council students for the morning, and Ms. Mary Feinberg from Sodexo prepared breakfast and lunch for the veterans. Mrs. Barbara Pusateri organized the veterans as well as “thank-you” items for them, and Mr. Marco Oliveira and his crew got everything set up and broken down. Each room was set up beforehand and broken down quickly, so teachers could get back to teaching.