By Molly Sword
On Veterans Day, a group of Kew Forest school students spent the day with local heroes at the annual Veterans Day breakfast, hosted at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. The breakfast event was spent honoring the veterans’ service in attendance and sharing stories and advice across generations.
Fifty people, including a dozen veterans attended the event. Veterans talked about their service, how they became engaged in active duty and some of the challenges faced every day. Put together by members of the Forest Hills Continental Post and Community Board #6Q, the discussions paid homage to the veterans’ service by providing a platform to share their experiences and life stories from their years of service. Some reflected on their journeys, including how they found their place in the military. A dozen eight graders from The Kew Forest School talked about their class project honoring veterans.
Colonel William Woods shared that it was never in his interest to join the army, especially after his father encouraged him to enlist, ‘ when he said left, I went right’. However, after initially starting in advertising for the forces, he soon discovered his passion and realized ‘this is where I need to be’. Another, Major Michael Dunne, found Xavier High School in Manhattan shaped his military life from the 1980s. For another, his journey to the forces came naturally, enlisting after 9/11 while still in high school. After assisting in the tragedy of 9/11, he ‘ got hooked’ on working in the armed service and ‘ the rest is history’.
It was obvious that the Veterans looked to make an impact on the students at the event. The Veterans spoke directly to the 8th-grade students and two students from Metropolitan High School – members of their Kiwanis Key Club, reminiscing on the opportunities and experiences they gained from their service. For many, the camaraderie was the highlight, as they expressed their gratitude for the lifelong connections that were made.
Students and Veterans had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one to engage in deeper conversations about their experiences and what it means to serve. These discussions highlighted challenges both on active duty and upon their return home, with the risk that people may treat you differently for choosing to join the armed forces.
The opportunity for school children and veterans to talk goes beyond an engaging experience but also acts as a way of providing mental health support. In the US, 8,030 veterans commit suicide each year, making Veterans Day not only a time to remember the past but also a chance to question what more we can do to support veterans upon their return. Coming together as a community to share experiences is one important way to contribute to the mental well-being of Veterans. As well as listening to the veterans, the children presented pieces of artwork that they had created in class to donate to the Veterans Hospital. Their pieces displayed images of peace alongside the American flag, honoring the pride of serving one’s country and expressing gratitude for the veteran’s service.
The morning proved to be a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the past, create support for the future and connect generations through the sharing of stories and advice.
