WMS students honor veterans
After last year’s drive-thru parade, it was back to business as usual as Wapakoneta Middle School students and staff held their 17th annual salute to veterans.
Kenzey Fullenkamp and Blake Rogers, student senate
members who led the preparations, felt the ceremony was important to honor those who made sacrifices for complete strangers.
Before it even began, students were lining the hallways towards the gym waving flags as veterans walked past.
Once inside, the student choir - led by Mary Dildine, herself a veteran of the Air Force - serenaded them with patriotic
songs, including “America
(My Country ’Tis of Thee)” and “God Bless America”.
Following their entrance, some students stood up and thanked veterans in their family.
Chaplain Matthew Kirkpatrick, an 11-year member of the
Ohio Army National Guard, gave a message to everyone in attendance that tied into the
same message the school has tried to deliver this entire year: being respectful, responsible and safe in every aspect of life. It was his first time giving a veteran’s speech at WMS.
“I was very honored,” he said. “Whenever anybody asks for a speech of any kind,
it’s part of the job of being a chaplain is we get up and we talk to people.”
He began his speech defining what a leader was: someone who had influence. He then tied that into the idea everyone could a leader in
some way because everybody had some type of influence on someone else.
He then connected that message to the story of the SS Dorchester, a transportation vessel for troops that was sunk in January 1943.
The Dorchester had hundreds and hundreds of crew
onboard when it was hit, among them four chaplains. Those chaplains provided life-jackets and helped lead
and comfort crew members as they made their way to life rafts. But it quickly became apparent there weren’t enough
jackets for everyone in the crew.
So those chaplains pulled off their own and gave them to others, ensuring all four would go down with the ship. And in doing so, they brought safety to other people.
Kirkpatrick ended his message by reminding stu
dents it was the veterans present who - by putting themselves in danger - helped ensure
our own safety. He also challenged students to
be responsible and commit to putt the safety of others above their own.
The celebration ended with more songs and the veterans leaving to
another round of applause.
Even though over half of the seats in the gymnasium were empty, Rogers was still happy with the turnout.
“All the [veterans] that the students invited - I know for a fact - are showing up,” he said.
But he wanted all of the veterans in attendance to realize how
much the student body appreciated them and their sacrifices.
“[We want them] to feel loved,” Fullenkamp
added.