HA family shows support for veterans

“In a word, this is simply awesome,” said Jim McGhee, director of Communications for the Wiregrass Honor Flight.

That was McGhee’s reaction Friday morning as he accepted a contribution of $6,891.23 from Leisha Hayes and Laurie Gilmore, co-chairs of the Community Service Committee at Houston Academy.

“It’s extremely heartwarming to see our youth and how they have stepped up to honor our great heroes,” McGhee continued. “These children will never forget this day. They will reflect on the opportunity of freedom their great-grandfathers have secured for us.”

The Community Service Committee had named the project “Pennies for Patriots,” and those involved had set a goal of $2,000. Little did they know that the response of the 636-member student body, their parents, HA faculty and administrators would more than triple that goal.

“This was a three-week project,” Mrs. Hayes said as she explained the effort before the start of a special pre-Veterans Day assembly at the school. “Our goal was $2,000. We intended to collect spare change, and, to do that, we took plastic shoe boxes and distributed them to each classroom. We also set up jars around the school to collect coins. We were happy to take anything that would be given.”

A PowerPoint presentation by faculty member Laurie Gilmore, who had served as a guardian on a previous Honor Flight, did more than just educate the student body about the program to honor World War II veterans, it lit a patriotic response that ran from the pre-school students all the way to the high school students.

“Her photos really got the children excited,” Mrs. Hayes said as she explained the importance of capturing the significance of the Honor Flight to the World War II Memorial. “We have a lot of families whose granddads were veterans. What hit home with the students was the rapid rate of veterans passing away that will never see their memorial.”

Mrs. Gilmore says the trip to Washington, D.C., was a wonderful experience for her personally. And, she was thankful that message served as a call to action for the Houston Academy student body.

“It was a thrill for me,” Mrs. Gilmore said of the trip. “I went with a gentleman from my church. I was overwhelmed at their attitudes - the way the men accepted everything so graciously.
“One said he didn’t know there was ‘so much respect for my generation from your generation.’

“Another told me he had seen the monument on a computer and in pictures, but he said those didn’t do it justice.”

Because of the efforts of the Houston Academy family, 20 veterans from this area will be able to make an Honor Flight to see the monument in April 2010.

“I really can’t tell you how proud I am of our kids,” Mrs. Hayes added. “I really didn’t expect this (total). There was no reward (prizes for top fund-raisers) in it for the children. It was an opportunity to learn from the heart.”

Karen Boothe, Lower School Head, who is credited with getting the effort started, was also appreciative of the students’ efforts.

“This effort started as a Lower School Community Service Project,” Mrs. Boothe said. “But it was quickly embraced by the high school students and faculty. The enthusiasm for this project involved more children than any other service project in all my years at Houston Academy. The contributions came from our students, faculty, administrators, parents, grandparents and friends of the school. It reached everywhere.”

She notes the project was just as important as an educational tool as it was a fund-raising effort.

“An important part of this project was about awareness,” Mrs. Boothe said. “I was a little surprised at the number of people who knew nothing about the Honor Flight program.”

The “Pennies for Patriots” project was used as a lead-in to the school’s pre-Veterans Day program, which featured patriotic music performed by the 151st Army Band from the Alabama National Guard, the reading of Veterans Day essays by Michael Crowley and Emma Jenne - HA fourth graders, and a presentation by Col. Frank Estes, secretary of the Wiregrass Honor Flight and a highly decorated veteran with 30 years of service in the U.S. Army.

After sharing a brief history of the creation of Veterans Day, Col. Estes turned his thoughts to the importance of honoring veterans.

“My definition of a veteran is a person who, at some point in life, writes a blank check to the United States of America that includes and up to his or her life,” Col. Estes said. “That’s one heck of a commitment to something bigger than yourself.

“This is what a person does to honor his country, to honor a great nation.

“To understand a veteran, look into the face of a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coast guardsman. They have made a commitment. They are happy in what they’re doing - serving their country. Military service is the last remaining noble professional - all others take a second seat.”

Making a trip to the World War II Memorial with a veteran of that era is an honor, Col. Estes says.

“You could see the pride showing in their faces when they saw the memorial,” Col Estes continued. “Some were reliving their memories. Some smiled. Some had tears.

“What you’ve done (for them) is bigger than what you can believe. It’s important to understand the commitment our service personnel have made.”

As this generation passes, Col. Estes says it is important that the next generation be remembered for their sacrifices.

“As we lose our World War II veterans, our Korean War veterans, our Vietnam War veterans will come next, and they need to be remembered.”