Students in Vienna honor, greet veterans during prayer service
Reflect on safety, service, sacrifice
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They processed into church, listened to God’s word, offered prayers and sang hymns.
Then, class by class, the students of Visitation Inter-Parish School in Vienna stepped forward to thank the four honored guests at the school’s second annual Veterans Day Service.
“It was very nice to be able to greet them and say, ‘Thank you for what you did, because it really matters, and it matters to me, too,’” said seventh-grader Claire Neier, who proclaimed a second reading from Scripture at the service.
“It felt good,” she said. “You’re shaking hands with a person who helped save a lot of lives. And a lot of them had to be away from their families while they were doing it.”
“They served our country,” said third-grader Lettie Berhorst. “We’re thankful for them. And they’re really nice people.”
First-grader Landrie Bridges would be the first to agree: her dad is serving an overseas military deployment.
“He’s working,” she said.
Landrie talks to her dad every morning on the phone.
What does he say to her?
“I love you.”
What does she say to him?
“I love you.”
Would she like people to pray for him and her family?
“Mm-hm,” she stated.
Home of the brave
Visitation parishioner Nina Stratman, representing the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, presented an award to eighth-grader Jake Rowden, whose essay won the post’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest.
The contest, held at thousands of VFW posts throughout the country, encourages young minds to examine U.S. history, along with their own experiences in modern American society.
Jake’s essay will be sent on to the next level of competition.
“I think it’s important for us to stop and acknowledge veterans because they served our country,” said Jake. “If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Lettie said the prayer service was fun and happy.
“A veteran is someone who served in the military,” she noted.
“They’re trying to keep us safe,” said kindergartner Leslie Schwartze.
“They are people who protect us,” said preschooler Grady Beltz. “Because we don’t want any people to attack our country.”
In liberating strife
This was the second year the seventh-graders at Visitation Inter-Parish School organized the Veterans Day Service.
Each student in that grade accepted a role in the service: leading a prayer, proclaiming a Scripture passage and singing in the choir.
Sixth- and eighth-graders also helped where needed.
“They planned all of this for you,” Principal Maggie Rush told the veterans and their guests, “just to show their appreciation for everything you do.”
Many of the students in all grades made Veterans Day cards to present to the veterans in attendance.
Mrs. Rush called each class forward.
Each student presented a card to one of the veterans and shook hands with and thanked them all.
“That’s what I liked the most,” said fourth-grader Luke Jones.
Luke, both of whose grandfathers served during the Vietnam War, admires veterans for the sacrifices they made and the ones they were willing to make.
“I don’t think any of us would be living here if they hadn’t done that for us,” he said.
Jake, whose grandfather also served during the Vietnam War and whose great-grandfather served in World War II, agreed.
“I feel like we need to show our thanks and admiration for them,” he said.
“You have to think about all those people who risked their lives for our country so we could be free and help other countries work for peace,” said Claire, who proclaimed one of the readings at the service.
She knew three of the four veterans at the service personally and is familiar with the other.
“It was kind of neat to see them in a different way and be able to thank them,” she said.
Her great-grandfather served in World War II.
She didn’t get to hear any stories of his time overseas because “he passed away before I was born.”
Sixth-grader Emme Jeremy’s uncle was injured while serving in the Army and received a Purple Heart.
“We need to be thankful for them because they save lots of people’s lives and spent time away from their families, which is really hard to do, especially over the holidays,” said Emme.
Fifth-grader Nicole Rowden said it’s important to honor the people who served this country “so the people here can live and be free.”
“They were willing to risk their lives to show their honor for this country and how much they love it and their support for everyone who lives here,” she said.
Is this country worth risking life and limb for?
“I think it is,” said Nicole.
Land of the free
All agreed that it’s important to pray for the people who serve and have served in the military in order to keep people safe and help promote peace.
“I think we should thank God for all those who served, and for all those people who are going to serve or are getting ready to serve, for people in the military who don’t get to see their families because they’re across the sea,” said Claire.
“Tell him how much we love them and support them,” said Nicole. “Ask him to protect them and keep them safe.”
Emme suggested praying that God reward them for their service.
Several students also suggested donating to organizations that help veterans, especially any who are wounded or homeless.
“We just ask him to take care of them and help them,” said Jake.
“Little things,” said Claire. “If you’re just passing down the street and you see someone wearing a veterans hat or a veterans jacket, and you can say, ‘thank you for what you did, for serving our country.’”
Home fires burning
School secretary Peggy Neubert teared up a few times as she listened to the students speak.
Her husband Ken was deployed to a combat area during the Iraq War, while her children were 14, 11 and 5.
“‘A year on the beach’ — that’s what we called it!” she said. “It was an interesting time.”
Later, as a member of the Missouri National Guard, he was deployed to other parts of the United States to assist with national security and with recovery from natural disasters.
Their son, who’s now also in the National Guard, recently returned from an overseas deployment.
Mrs. Neubert noted that it can be stressful for people who have family members — especially spouses — who have to leave home on short notice.
“There are times when if you’re working full-time, like I was, and you have all those other things to do — cutting grass, paying bills, fixing things that break at home — what do you do?” she said.
She noted that there are many support groups for families of military personnel.
“Even if you just need to talk about it, there’s someone there,” she said.
What helps the most?
“A kind word,” she stated. “You know, ‘I understand.’ That kind of thing.”
She noted that most military reservists have families and full-time jobs, which they occasionally have to take leave from on short notice when they’re activated.
She said deployed military personnel have less to worry about if they know their families are being taken care of by people back home.
“They have to pay attention to what they’re doing over there,” she noted. “They need to concentrate on what they’re there for and then getting home.”
“Be supportive of those families,” she advised. “If the soldiers know that their family is supported here, that makes their lives so much better. They can concentrate on what they’re doing.”
