Independence High School and Middle School gathered in the high school auditorium for the Veterans Day assembly on Monday, November 10, the day before Veterans Day.
Band director and Army veteran/military family liaison Mr. Michael Greene organized the assembly to reflect on the sacrifice of veterans for our country, as well as to “draw more attention to not only the veterans, but the families of the veterans.”
Greene invited his father Lt. Michael Greene to speak. Lt. Greene served from 1991-2005 as a staff sergeant in the United States Army Military Police Corps and is currently a lieutenant at the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.
For his keynote address, Lt. Greene spoke about his perspective on service, explaining that service is something that not only veterans must keep in mind, but everyday citizens as well.
“Service is not a word — it’s a choice. It’s a choice to be grateful instead of entitled. It’s a choice to listen instead of argue. It’s a choice to care even when no one else does,” Lt. Greene said. In his eye, service “doesn’t start when you put on a uniform; it starts when you decide to live with purpose.”
Lt. Greene also emphasized the effect of military service on the veteran’s family. Parents, partners and children learned to power through the absence of a loved one. Through this idea, Lt. Greene relayed the importance of Purple Star Schools in supporting students with family members in the military. “It tells every military-connected student: You are seen. You are valued. You are not alone,” Lt. Greene said.
The assembly also included a performance of “America the Beautiful” from the high school and middle school choir, and “March of the Armed Forces” from the IHS band and choir.
A few students from each grade level in the middle school and two from the high school gave small presentations about honoring the sacrifice of veterans. Fifth graders read a poem called “Where Freedom Lives,” which describes the freedoms we have because of the veterans’ sacrifice. Sixth graders read a poem called “In Their Boots,” in which they took the perspective of a veteran. Sixth grader Keani Kelso shared a heartfelt poem from the perspective of someone whose father is serving in the military. Seventh graders described patriotism and what it means to be an American. Eighth graders shared a tribute to veterans and introduced an organization called Honor Flight Cleveland. Two IHS students, sophomore Emma Bohrer and senior Samuel Bernhardt, spoke about the responsibility of freedom and how we can continue the legacy started by veterans.
Mr. Greene plans to continue the Veterans Day assembly going forward with more high school involvement to include more people in honoring the legacy of veterans.
