Heights thankful for veterans

On the last day before students and staff at Jackson Heights took a break for Thanksgiving, they came together to remember how thankful they are for America’s military veterans.

A special Veterans Day program — held nearly two weeks after the national holiday in which military veterans, past and present, are honored — on Tuesday morning served as a reminder that those who served in America’s armed forces are deserving of respect, Jackson Heights Superintendent and Elementary Principal Adrianne Walsh said.

About two dozen veterans were on hand for Tuesday’s special all-school assembly, in which guest speaker Walt Frederick, a retired Kansas Army National Guard colonel, reminded those present that even though veterans get thanked today, there were times when they didn’t get those thanks — coming home from wars in Korea and Vietnam. Instead, Frederick said, they merely put their civilian clothes back on and reassimilated into society.

As a result, Frederick encouraged those present to stand up and say, “Welcome home!” to Korean and Vietnam war veterans and to be thankful and respectful toward all who serve in the U.S. armed forces.

“Never, ever, should a veteran come home and feel that he or she has to hide and reassimilate into our society without being thanked for their service,” he said.

Frederick also reminded those present that “it’s OK to be afraid, but not to let your fear stop you” from accomplishing anything. In his 30 years in the military, he said, there were several times when fear reared its ugly head when he was trying to accomplish something, whether it was going through basic military training or becoming an Army helicopter pilot.

In each case, he said, “I was afraid… But I did it anyway.”

Later, Frederick told those present about the most difficult thing he ever had to do as a military officer — deliver word to members of a serviceman’s family that the serviceman, a friend of Frederick’s as well, had been killed in action while on active military duty in Afghanistan.

That serviceman and friend, he later said, was Master Sgt. Bernard Lee “Bernie” Deghand of Mayetta.

“I would rather be in Afghanistan for a year than knock on that door,” Frederick said of delivering word of Deghand’s death to his family. “But there are so many things that are hard that you still have to do.”

Those attending Tuesday’s assembly were treated to several patriotic songs performed by elementary school students, as well as video presentations featuring scenes that were photographed on the most recent Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. The Air Force Junior ROTC program from Topeka’s Washburn Rural High School framed the assembly with the presentation and withdrawal of colors.

School officials said the Veterans Day program was held on Tuesday due to the number of other activities for military veterans on Nov. 11.