Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
The students and faculty of Bedford’s Lt. Job Lane elementary school honored Veterans Day in a school-wide assembly attended by more than 60 active and retired military personnel on Monday, November 10.
Many students see Veterans Day as simply a day-off from school or work, according to Lane School principal Rob Ackerman, but thanks to the organizational efforts of the school’s assistant principal Keith Kinney, school staff, and B.E.S.T. parent/teacher organization, the students now see the day as much more.
A committee was formed early in the year, and emails inviting veterans to participate in the ceremony went out to the school community. Participating veterans included moms, dads, grandfathers, and at least one grandmother along with a Gold Star Mother, several of Bedford’s first responders, and active service personnel.
Kinney reported that seven military branch flags were donated to the school, including a US Marine Corps flag given by MIT Lincoln Labs, and BEST (PTO) purchased a small flag for each of Lane School’s 500+ students. Dawn Kociubes and Audrey Gould, among others, created a patriotic balloon arch that the guests passed through as they entered the Lane School gymnasium.
“This is one of my proudest moments in Bedford at Lane School and in my 15 years of being in education,” said Kinney.”
Bedford High School ROTC program presented the colors, along with an honor guard from Bedford’s Police and Fire Departments.
The veterans processed into the gymnasium and were met at the podium by a Lane School student who was their escort for the program. After all of the veterans were introduced, Colonel Joy Lawal, the 66th Air Base Group Equal Opportunity deputy director at Hanscom Field, and 97-year-old retired Colonel Robert Schwerin who served in Pacific Theater of Operations in WW2 offered remarks.
Buglers Colin O’Toole and Betty Goldfarb opened and closed the program.
“As the school’s special guests, the veterans were presented as true heroes,” said Ackerman. One of the students later told him, “I’m amazed…they (veterans and active soldiers) do all this for us without even knowing us.”
Veterans who were honored guests during the Lane School program included:
Air Force and Marines
Mary F. Leavitt
Air Force
Robert Benns, Jesse Boyter, Clarence (Butch) W. Card Jr., Richard Carson, Robert Dumlao, John Fisher, Sal Girifalco, Michael E. Jerz, Joy Lawal, Margaret Lorezos, Geoffrey Lum, Craig Naylor, Tim Portlock, Ian Rohde, Ken Thrasher,
Army
Benedict J. Buono, Jr., John Brooks Dodge, John Fernald, William Frederick, Burton Goldfarb, Alma Hart, Gold Star Mother of Pfc. John Hart, Tony Jesensky, John Edward Koschuk, Jr., Leonard Krasker, Saro Minassian, Kenneth Patrician, Anthony Ricci, Kieran Ridge, Mike Sullivan, Robert Sutter and Joe Vallois,
Coast Guard
Melanie Deschene and Lou Ennis
Marine Corps
Joseph Baldasaro, John Cahill, Richard Gelicame
National Guard
Nick Naylor, Maura Varney
Navy
Alex Brough, Gregory Getchell, Stephen Getchell Jr, Adam Lamantia, Joseph Lerra, Leo Love, Urban Lyo, Charles A. Markey, Gregory Mattson, Robert Schwerin
Bedford’s First Responders
Robert Abajian, Mark Casey, Thomas Devine, David Dillon, Jeffrey French, Gary Martin, Sam Panzeri, Chris Springer, Richard Vitale
BHS ROTC Cadet Honor Guard
Emma Ferguson, Aaron Hamilton, David Roos, Zach Somers, Fritz Stadtlander
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