Honoring the brave: CMSW holds 25th Veterans Day to commemorate brave actions of the past
Coppell Middle School West students wait outside the library to greet local veterans at the 25th annual Veterans Day event on Friday. The event was hosted by CMSW in order to honor and thank veterans who put their lives on the line to fight in WWII, Vietnam, Afghanistan and other wars.
November 8, 2019
American flags were vehemently swung in the air, the gradation of the musical instruments got louder and students and staff felt a sense of pride as local veterans walked past them into the Coppell Middle School West cafeteria.
On Friday, CMSW hosted its 25th annual Veterans Day event to commemorate those who put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that many Americans abide by today.
The event began with performances from CMSW band, choir and Boy Scouts of America to welcome fellow students, staff and local attendees. Following the performances, eighth grade U.S. history teacher John Smetzer, who also served for the United States Marine Corps, shared the brief history of Veterans Day to the audience.
“Veterans Day is one of those times where we need to honor people that have served in our armed forces,” Smetzer said. “It gives us a chance to thank them for their contributions and for their support over the years.”
To honor the veterans, a crowd of students started to form outside the CMSW library which then flowed into the cafeteria. The veterans walked out of the library with beaming smiles while being cheered on by students, faculty and family members.
The event further progressed with CMSW seventh grade language arts teacher Shaina Tackett speaking about how the tragedies of 9/11 pushed her to enlist in the U.S. Navy.
“I’ve always been drawn to the water,” Tackett said. “So having an opportunity to serve and then be able to do it in that nature made it seem both exciting and rewarding.”
Not only that, but Tackett has been able to use Veterans Day and her experiences on sea to teach her students in the classroom.
“It’s a respect thing, most importantly a respect in gratitude,” Tackett said. “A lot of people don’t realize what sacrifices are made and how we get to enjoy the life we have because of it. It’s bringing that character into the classroom of gratitude, appreciation and respect for others”
After Tackett’s speech, the event came to a close with a final applause for the local veterans who fought in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and in other wars.
The 25th Veterans Day event was heavily coordinated by the social studies between every single department from fine arts to athletics at CMSW. However, a lot of the work that went into making the event feasible was not easy.
“I cannot stress enough the value and the hard work that the people that I worked with in the social studies department brought to the table,” Texas history teacher David Norman said. “They worked [for] hours, they worked [for] nights, their heart was in this. It was much more than a ceremony to them.”
With much planning going into the ceremony, students are CMSW are glad they got the opportunity to honor those who have fought for their rights.
“They [veterans] gave us all these rights,” CMSW eighth grader Akshara Goli said. “They sacrificed physically or mentally, and they sacrificed their family life and I think we should honor that.”
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