Every year, Moore Elementary School celebrates Veterans Day in a meaningful way.
Katy Dremock, a math teacher at Moore Elementary, puts a lot of work into organizing the annual event, which began in 2012. This year was no exception as Dremock put together the 12th annual fun-filled day for veterans, students and teachers alike.
Bright and early on Monday, Nov. 11, veterans were treated to a breakfast in the cafeteria. Then, as students began arriving, veterans and guests got to welcome them to school.
Students from all grades were very excited to take a day off from their normal school routine and eagerly filed into the gymnasium, decked out in their most patriotic outfits.
During the opening ceremony, the Northampton Area High School Orchestra Ensemble performed patriotic songs for attendees as the students sang along.
The ceremony also showcased the flags of each branch of the armed forces, and while each branch’s song was played, veterans were asked to stand for the branch they served in.
Following, the drama program did an active reading of “H is for Honor” by Devin Scillian, which teaches students about the honor, privileges and sacrifices of military families.
After the ceremony, students began traveling to different classrooms to watch four veteran presentations throughout the day.
Students watched and listened intently as each presenter shared information about the military, the branch they served in, what deployments were like, where they were stationed, what their job was, what life was like and the highs and lows of their service.
Students got to see and touch some of the items that presenters brought and jumped at the chance to guess the answers to questions that veterans quizzed them on.
This year, Moore Elementary welcomed 17 veteran presenters including David Arechiga (Navy), Christina Barbati (Army), Fred Branyan (Army), John Buskey (Navy), Fred Christopher (Army), David Dimmick (Air Force), Tim Hageman (Navy), Rick Hageman (Navy), Randy Hogue (Air Force), Samantha Hogue (Air Force), Chris Licini (Marine Corps), Zach Mako (National Guard), John Marks (Coast Guard), Brian Radcliffe (Navy), Corey Rosyneck (Army), John Schmoyer (Army) and Bill Wilde (Navy).
Many of the veterans that attend take time off from work and return year after year to present. The veterans seem to agree that they don’t just look forward to the celebration every year, they also appreciate the opportunity to teach the kids about the meaning of Veterans Day and the sacrifice of service members.
One of those returning veterans is the father of Moore Elementary’s very own Principal Curtis Dimmick.
David Dimmick enlisted in May 1964 and rose to the rank of captain (O-3) in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard as a medic/corpsman and mobility officer during his 16 years of service.
Throughout his presentation, Capt. Dimmick taught students about what each branch oversees and what the purposes of Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day are.
He also taught students about what his jobs entailed during his service, which included giving shots to up to 500 people in a single day, caring for the wounded during the Vietnam War via field ambulance, transporting/transferring patients through aeromedical evacuation, aircraft control and warning, identifying enemy planes, radar, and transporting both people and equipment.
Capt. Dimmick also spoke with the kids about what PTSD is, what life was like living in tents during the Vietnam War and how devastating the effects of war can be, especially when service members pay the ultimate sacrifice. To honor his fallen friends, Capt. Dimmick shared their names and photos in his slide show, which included with a photo of his best friend, Major Lewis Smith, who became missing in action on May 30, 1968, after the plane he was flying over Laos was shot down. Maj. Smith’s class ring was found after that fateful day, but his body was never recovered.
“This is where it gets personal,” Capt. Dimmick said solemnly.
When it came time for students to ask questions, their hands shot up in excitement and Capt. Dimmick was asked some tough ones like how wars begin, how wars end and if America was ever defeated by another country, which he thoughtfully answered.
At the end of the day, students were each given an American flag as they paraded around the building. They proudly waved their flags while singing pridefully and chanting “U-S-A!”
Then, they gathered around the flagpole in front of the school to witness the lowering and folding of the flag by veterans Chris Licini, Brian Radcliffe and Tim Hageman, as Band Director Mike Baer played “Taps” on the trumpet.
Principal Dimmick provided the closing remarks of the celebration and reminded students,
“As we are lowering the flag today, we are honoring those military members that lost their lives in battle over the years to help keep our country safe. That is one of the main things we want to remember about Veterans Day, is honoring those heroes, along with the heroes that serve every day and that served in the past and were gracious enough to come out and spend the day with you today.”
While the day is packed with fun and excitement, it also gives children the chance to connect with veterans and learn about the military, its customs and the sacrifice of those who have served. This creates a truly memorable experience for everyone involved, and each year, the event seems to surpass the last in its impact.
