Aromas School students celebrated Veterans Day a little early this week. Read about it here and get a breakdown of events planned in San Benito County for the weekend.
Aromas School students celebrated Veterans Day a little early by inviting those who’ve served in the military to an assembly at the rural school on Wednesday. More than 40 veterans showed up for the event, along with family members of the students, for the annual event.
“We have a lot of assemblies throughout the year, but as principal I think this is more important than the others,” said Kyle Griffiths, principal. “It’s a day off, but for local students it means a lot more than that so we thank you for coming today.”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard Freedom Post 1716 posted the colors with students Dave Conrath and Haylee Perryman at the start of the presentation, followed by a bugle song before the Pledge of Allegiance was cited.
Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Superintendent Willard McCabe introduced the veterans during the assembly. They were again recognized near the end of it when they were invited to come forward, state their name and branch of service, and receive a book put together by the students. The book included poems, stories, drawings and letters to the veterans.
“Yesterday was a big day for our country – Election Day,” said San Benito County Supervisor Anthony Botelho. “The country was divided in half, but today we stand as one. We have a democracy and alternate views. What makes it possible is the service and dedication of our veterans. Without that we wouldn’t have the right we had yesterday to choose a president.”
For the assembly, five classes put together performances to honor the veterans. Most of the students wore patriotic colors such as red and blue, while others donned costumes such as the Statue of Liberty. The youngest students at the school cited “This Land is Your Land” and “God Bless America.” Another class sang the names of the states and “Armed Forces Medley,” asking the veterans to stand as their branch of military was mentioned. Three classes joined together for a “We the People” medley that combined several different songs.
The veterans and family members were invited to a reception in the school library following the assembly.
Veterans Day activities:
San Benito County’s LULAC Council #2890 will host its annual veterans breakfast Sunday in the San Benito High School cafeteria from 7 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $8 and proceeds benefit the 2013 LULAC scholarship fund. This year’s event will feature special guest speaker, Assemblyman Luis Alejo.
Following the breakfast, there will be a veterans resource fair at the Veterans Memorial Building, 649 San Benito St., with a moment of silence at 11:11 a.m. A barbecue lunch will be offered at noon, followed by the Veterans Day Parade at 1:30 p.m.
The LULAC breakfast will include a ceremony to honor two local veterans at 8 a.m. Honorees this year include Nazhat Parveen Sharma, a local doctor who served as a medic in the United States army, and Ron Sanchez, a retired U.S. Marine who served during Vietnam.
Sanchez joined the National Guard at age 17 before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1965. He was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969, attending Vietnamese language school and serving a second tour in Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Recon as an advisor. He served as a military police officer in Mare Island before retiring from the military.
In 1984, Sharma was recruited as an officer on active service of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, with the rank of captain. She attended basic training at Fort Hood, in Texas, and was posted to the department of ophthalmology at Fort Ord. She was promoted to the rank of major in her first year of service and served as chief ophthalmologist for two years. She was honorably discharged in 1987, serving in the Army Medical Corps Reserves for three more years. Sharma worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto while working at Stanford University Hospital from 1987 to 1992.
