Veterans treated to breakfast on Veterans Day at St. Clairsville High School
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE - The St. Clairsville-Richland City School District honored veterans on Wednesday morning with a complimentary breakfast.
Middle and high school students can invite veterans to the annual breakfast -- whether it’s a family member, friends of the family, or just a community member -- to thank them for their service. Middle school student council advisor Becca Schwertfeger said the event is organized by the middle school student council in association with the high school's student action committee.
She added the annual event holds a special place in her heart, as several members of her family are veterans.
"I think it’s really important to honor veterans at the school,” Schwertfeger said. “It is our job to teach our students how to properly honor veterans and how important it is because of them we are able to live our everyday lives the way that we do.
"Personally, I come from a very strong military family,” she continued. “I have a lot of Marines in my family, so I always felt like it was my way of honoring their service too."
Schwertfeger said the number of veterans who attend continues to increase each year, with some veterans telling her it’s their favorite event each year.
She added the students are also always excited to be able to deck the halls with red, white and blue.
"They do posters, and it just seems like it grows every year. And our students absolutely love doing this assembly," Schwertfeger said. "It’s their favorite one of the entire year."
High school principal Justin Sleutz said the annual event is crucial to keep alive because it provides the teachers and administration an opportunity to reinforce the importance of honoring and celebrating the area’s veterans.
"For me, as a building leader, it is important that our students understand whether they want to go into the military or not, why it’s important to value those community members who are veterans and who have served, and just trying to ingrain that that that respect for our community members that have served into our students," Sleutz said.
When the breakfast began nearly a decade ago, Sluetz said, around 30 veterans attended. This year’s roster of veterans was nearly 70.
"I'm just so happy that it’s grown in that way," Sleutz said.
U.S. Coast Guard veteran Matthew Wood has been to nearly all of the breakfasts throughout the years and loves coming to them.
"It’s the best veterans program in the valley. Truly, they do an exceptional job of making veterans feel welcome and make them feel special for their service," Wood said.
He added the opportunity for veterans to be remembered and to kno they’re thought of, valued and appreciated for the sacrifice they gave is what makes the event so special to him.
"They just really show great appreciation and love for the service," Wood said.
Following the breakfast, an assembly was held in the high school gym to honor the veterans. U.S. Air Force veteran Mike Slenski spoke to the students, teachers, veterans and families about the importance of honoring veterans. Slenski is a Vietnam veteran and he noted there was no recognition when him and his fellow veterans returned back to the U.S.
"As a matter of fact, I may have been scorned a little bit. But living in the Ohio Valley, there is a great sense of patriotism that exists, so it’s just wonderful to be amongst the veterans," Slenski said.
He added during the breakfast he spent the time welcoming the veterans and asking his Vietnam veteran brothers where they served.
"They light up and talk about the different aspects and all," Slenski said.
Though he said he was once a reluctant veteran in the Vietnam era, he’s now as proud a veteran can be.
"I gain more pride every day and realize the sacrifices that’s made. And I get my care through the Veterans Administration. They take good care of me. They have great respect. But we live in a wonderful community, and it couldn’t be better," Slenski said. "It’s just wonderful to see all these veterans here, and the recognition that the school provides for them."
Slenski, who announces for the school’s volleyball games, said it always warms his heart to see the players stand with their hands on their hearts, hand down to their side and observe the proper decorum during the national anthem.
"I don’t see that from the other teams but we do that on all of our teams, and just shows the respect they have for veterans and also for America and the sacrifice that folks have made," Slenski said.