Recognizing Importance Of Teaching Students About Veterans
Floor Speech
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Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 897 recognizing the importance of teaching elementary and secondary school students about the sacrifices that veterans have made throughout the history of the Nation.
While this resolution is new to the House, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Holland Elementary School has made a special effort to recognize veterans for years. In November 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Holland Elementary School started their annual Veterans Day Recognition Program.
Created by Principal Mike Caywood (a Vietnam veteran himself) and music teacher Jane Zweinink, the Veterans Day Recognition Program invites veterans to come to Holland Elementary on Veterans Day and share their stories with students. Principal Caywood has invited veterans from all over the local community and specifically veterans from local senior care homes. Ms. Zweinink has taught students patriotic songs that are performed for guests when they came to school. The veterans have enjoyed seeing the students perform, singing songs and sharing their patriotic message.
Over the years, Holland Elementary has seen a decrease in the number of World War II vets attending and the Korean and Vietnam vets are getting older. In response, the school has proactively reached out to veterans from Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. They have also had an increase in the number of active duty soldiers participating, including mothers and fathers of students. Many of these veterans come from the school system itself. Fort Wayne Community Schools currently employs over 100 veterans.
Holland Elementary's Veterans Day Recognition Program is a great example of how H. Res. 897 can be implemented. I want to thank Mr. Caywood and Ms. Zweinink for their hard work in recognizing local veterans and making sure elementary students understand the sacrifices of generations before them.
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I yield back the balance of my time.
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