Parents know that there is a holiday on November 11^th because kids don’t attend school on that day.  However, many are not aware that this year our fourth- and fifth-graders learned a lot about the holiday on Thursday, November 5^th, when a one-day Veterans’ Museum and Celebration was established in the multi-purpose room of P.S. 108.   The event was covered by the Bronx Times Reporter, which gave it front-page space in its November 12^th edition.      

The celebration was initiated by our own Custodial-Engineer Michael Tierney, who got the idea for the museum event last July.  Mr. Tierney, who had an uncle who served in the war and is, by his own admission, “passionate about World War II”, worked to set up a committee. In the space of just a few months, he and the other committee members – Mrs. Roksvold, Ms. Rhem and Ms. Copeland, with some welcome help from Mr. Sperrazza, Ms. Hogan and Ms. Forde, brought meaning to the word Veterans’ Day to so many from our school community.

Mr. Tierney put together a slide show set to music that was shown in the cafeteria.  Students were able to see pictures of people who served our country in wartime as well as years of peace. This presentation brought tears to the eyes of some of the older people in attendance.

Local veterans who attended had been invited to the school with personal letters.  They enjoyed breakfast and a welcome by Principal Charles Sperrazza.  Local politicians Jeff Klein and Jimmy Vacca also spoke to the attendees.  Students had a chance to ask questions, and also to read the well-known poem “They Did Their Share,” by Joanna Fuchs, which starts with these words:

On Veteran’s Day we honor

Soldiers who protect our nation.

For their service as our warriors,

They deserve our admiration.

Round tables in the room became display cases for photographs, books, stories and memorabilia from veterans and their families.  And once the initial excitement was over, the fourth- and fifth-graders wrote responsive thank-you letters to our country’s service men and women.

The entire P.S. 108 community is thankful to the school for providing such an unusually personal look into the lives of these men and women.  We hope to see this event repeated next November.