thedrifter
06-11-08, 07:28 PM
Children give veterans heartwarming welcome
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer
JACKSON- Veterans from past wars and military personnel who will be leaving for a tour of duty have been honored by the students and staff of the Howard C. Johnson Elementary School. The program was held on May 27 in the Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary School gymnasium.
"We have been writing letters all around the world to all the active military personnel who are out there protecting our country," Assistant Principal Tina Topoleski said. "Many letters were written to service personnel who are still here and have not yet been deployed."
Topoleski said the members of the school community wanted to show their appreciation for everything the military personnel do. She said the letter writing campaign will continue in the 2008-09 school year.
"Today we are here at the Heroes Assembly [given by] Johnson Elementary School," said Vietnam veteran and former Jackson School District Principal Barry Rosenzweig, who is a member of Post No. 3 of the Veterans of the Vietnam War and Veterans Coalition. "The children are honoring a number of veterans who are active duty personnel as well as National Guard personnel, specifically two members of the New Jersey National Guard, Capt. Ben Stoner and Maj. Tim Coakley. who are fathers of students at the Johnson school Additionally, Alex Bauza, who has a younger sister at the Johnson school, will be deployed in June.
"Today's programis the culmination of a yearlong project called Project Everywhere, which involved every grade level at the Johnson school," Rosenzweig said. "The children wrote to veterans and to military personnel on active duty all over the world. The kids did a great job and they have gotten tremendous responses from the veterans and military personnel to whom they wrote."
Rosenzweig informed the pupils that the veterans and military personnel who attended the program told him that the best part of their day wasmail call, when letters and packages were received.
"It was the highlight of the day, and you have provided wonderful times for all of the people to whom you wrote. They truly appreciate it and this is the best way to support our troops. Thank you for having us all here. It's a win-win situation for patriotism and for supporting our troops," he said.
The children sang songs honoring each branch of the military service- Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard - as members of each branch rose to be recognized by a huge round of applause.
Military personnel and their family members were recognized.
Called up to receive a certificate of honor were Kenneth Tourville, a member of the Air Force and husband of a school staff member at the Johnson school; Leo Burrows; and Michael Cook.
Also receiving a certificate was Philip Bunk of the Air National Guard. Bunk is a graduate of JacksonMemorial High School and he returned in March from a tour of duty in Iraq.
Johnson school fifth-grade teacher Carolyn White, who is a veteran of the Army, received a certificate, as did Vietnam veteran Jay Evans, who served in theMarines. Evans also accepted a certificate on behalf of his father, Lew Evans, who is a recipient of the Purple Heart.
Other individuals who were honored were Andrew Robert Galaydick Jr., who served in the Army, and Louis Bono, who recently returned home and who wrote back to first-grade children at the Johnson school.
Ellie
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer
JACKSON- Veterans from past wars and military personnel who will be leaving for a tour of duty have been honored by the students and staff of the Howard C. Johnson Elementary School. The program was held on May 27 in the Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary School gymnasium.
"We have been writing letters all around the world to all the active military personnel who are out there protecting our country," Assistant Principal Tina Topoleski said. "Many letters were written to service personnel who are still here and have not yet been deployed."
Topoleski said the members of the school community wanted to show their appreciation for everything the military personnel do. She said the letter writing campaign will continue in the 2008-09 school year.
"Today we are here at the Heroes Assembly [given by] Johnson Elementary School," said Vietnam veteran and former Jackson School District Principal Barry Rosenzweig, who is a member of Post No. 3 of the Veterans of the Vietnam War and Veterans Coalition. "The children are honoring a number of veterans who are active duty personnel as well as National Guard personnel, specifically two members of the New Jersey National Guard, Capt. Ben Stoner and Maj. Tim Coakley. who are fathers of students at the Johnson school Additionally, Alex Bauza, who has a younger sister at the Johnson school, will be deployed in June.
"Today's programis the culmination of a yearlong project called Project Everywhere, which involved every grade level at the Johnson school," Rosenzweig said. "The children wrote to veterans and to military personnel on active duty all over the world. The kids did a great job and they have gotten tremendous responses from the veterans and military personnel to whom they wrote."
Rosenzweig informed the pupils that the veterans and military personnel who attended the program told him that the best part of their day wasmail call, when letters and packages were received.
"It was the highlight of the day, and you have provided wonderful times for all of the people to whom you wrote. They truly appreciate it and this is the best way to support our troops. Thank you for having us all here. It's a win-win situation for patriotism and for supporting our troops," he said.
The children sang songs honoring each branch of the military service- Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard - as members of each branch rose to be recognized by a huge round of applause.
Military personnel and their family members were recognized.
Called up to receive a certificate of honor were Kenneth Tourville, a member of the Air Force and husband of a school staff member at the Johnson school; Leo Burrows; and Michael Cook.
Also receiving a certificate was Philip Bunk of the Air National Guard. Bunk is a graduate of JacksonMemorial High School and he returned in March from a tour of duty in Iraq.
Johnson school fifth-grade teacher Carolyn White, who is a veteran of the Army, received a certificate, as did Vietnam veteran Jay Evans, who served in theMarines. Evans also accepted a certificate on behalf of his father, Lew Evans, who is a recipient of the Purple Heart.
Other individuals who were honored were Andrew Robert Galaydick Jr., who served in the Army, and Louis Bono, who recently returned home and who wrote back to first-grade children at the Johnson school.
Ellie