SHERBURNE – During Thursday’s lunch at Sherburne-Earlville Elementary, jovial veterans of the United States Armed Forces could be spotted with well-trained eyes, camouflaged among gaggles of excited grade schoolers. The hardened vets grinned sheepishly as awestruck youngsters fawned over them while they ate lunch, compliments of the S-E School District.
Eighty veterans reserved a seat in the school’s cafeteria after children in grades K through 5 brought home invitations for family members and friends who served the nation. The students proudly showed them off to their friends, and shared a meal with them. Thursday marked the first year the school has invited vets in for a Veterans Day/Thanksgiving celebration.
“I shamelessly stole the idea from Morrisville-Eaton,” confided fifth grade teacher Gene Thomas. Thomas absconded with the concept of a Veterans Day/Thanksgiving celebration after his own children had such a great time doing it with their own grandparents, in the Morrisville-Eaton Central School District. “It is a great experience for the kids to meet the real people and heroes who have served our nation.”
Veterans arrived during four different lunch periods and their time of arrival depended on the grade of the child who extended an invite to them. Upon arrival, the seasoned warriors flocked around a sign-up desk, diligently administrated by a detachment of 5th graders. As part of their service to the veterans, a platoon of 5th graders hand-crafted red, white and blue ribbons, which were subsequently pinned on the chests of the veterans.
Sign-in desk overseer and fifth grade teacher Margaret McDowell looked on as the kids pinned the ribbons on the incoming veterans. “The kids thought it would be a nice gesture to show their appreciation,” she said.
Two veterans, Jade Williams and Hoyt Adsit, part the largest contingent of approximately 45 visitors arriving shortly after 11 a.m. for the lunch period, were both waiting to be met by their respective granddaughters.
After sign up, the vets were led by their miniature hosts to the cafeteria lunch line, where the staff were more than happy to serve hungry students and veterans alike with barrages of piping-hot mashed potatoes and gravy-drenched meat loaf.
“This is great,” said Air Force veteran Chuck Moore as he sat at a cafeteria table surrounded by admiring youths. Moore was invited by his neighbor Jake Sutherland, sitting next to Moore with a pleased look plastered across his proud face. “He met me at the door, that was very cool,” said Moore. “Besides the great meal, I have enjoyed meeting Jake’s classmates who are all good guys, just like Jake.”
“I think every one walking through has been so happy looking and this has been such a great opportunity to thank the vets,” said McDowell.
“When I was planning this, I never expected to be so humbled by these men, and it has become so much bigger then I anticipated,” said Thomas, referring to the wave of emotion many of those present experienced. “Watching the assembled veterans waiting for the little ones, really changed it for me,” he said. Already plans are being made for next year’s Veterans Day/Thanksgiving Lunch, with the intention of making it even larger. “I was so thrilled for the kids to be able to interact with real people, giving the holiday a tangible meaning for them.”