Veterans of all branches of the armed forces gathered Friday morning for Veterans Appreciation Day at the KansasWorks office in Great Bend. Several, sporting Kansas Honor Flight T-shirts, had recently returned from Washington D.C.
As they waited for the third graders from Park Elementary to arrive, they passed around photos, sharing stories about visiting the Tomb of the Unknowns and other monuments.
Soon the children filed into the office.
“These kids didn’t know much, so we talked about what veterans are, what they’ve done for our country, why we celebrate Veterans Day, and we talked about war and some of the things that happen at war and what the veterans have been through,” said Amber Novotny, a Park Elementary teacher. “There are quite a few who have some different relatives that have served at some point in time.”
This was the seventh year for the observance to which the general public was invited. Uniforms from each branch of service were on display, as well as cases containing other war memorabilia. Outside, military vehicles were on display.
Table ceremony
With three bell chimes, the ceremony opened with a table ceremony honoring missing in action soldiers and prisoners of war. Then, Edward Scott, veterans employment representative at KansasWorks, asked what freedom meant to the students.
“That you can say whatever you want to say, that you can have an opportunity to go to school,” said student Jordan Clair. “...and if you look bad you don’t have to go to jail.”
“How about playing your video games. How many of you like playing video games?” he asked. Every child’s hand shot up. “Did you know there are a lot of places in the world where they won’t let you do that. That’s another reason for freedom.”
Then it was time for the students to ask their own questions. One student asked how many veterans in Great Bend. “Quite a few. You stumped, me,” Scott said. He estimated around 6,400 live in the local area.
“The person you are passing on the street could be a veteran. If you hear them mention the are a veteran or they were in the military, stop and shake their hand and thank them for their service.,” he said.
Representatives from each of the two third grade classes at Park Elementary presented stacks of thank-you cards created in class. After breaking into small groups, they moved around the room, talking with the veterans who provided first-hand accounts of their wartime experiences.
Veterans share
“We like to engage the children because its learning--and the speaker we are going to have today is a Pearl Harbor survivor. He’ll be sharing some things with the children,” said Edward Scott, Veterans Employment Representative at KansasWorks.
Lonnie Wright served in the Army Air Corps from 1939 to 1945 as a gunner on a B-17 bomber. He brought along shrapnel, bullets, and other things he collected from the beach of Pearl Harbor.
Other veterans, like Miles Kennedy, who served from 1968 to 1971 during the Vietnam War, and Bob Ingersol, who served in the early 1950s during the Korean War, and many others were on hand to share their unique experiences.
The veterans and their spouses were invited to stay for lunch and cake afterwards.
(Slide show and interview with Edward Scott, veterans employment representative at KANSASWORKS, can be viewed at GBTribune.com, or by clicking here.)
Students come face to face with history
