EAST MANATEE — In his youth, Robert Somers received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat at Chu Lai, Vietnam.
Now a grandfather, Somers attended the Veterans Celebration on Friday at Braden River Middle School, where his grandson, Cody Kaleskas, an 11-year-old sixth-grader, had a surprise for him.
Somers was visibly moved when the newest patriotic wall panel, created by eighth graders in Heidi Enneking’s class, was unveiled. Among the names surrounding a flowing American flag was his own.
“I just found out this morning, I was very proud of my grandson and all the kids who put this on,” Somers said.
The new panel will take its place with others at the school’s Veterans Hall of Honor, said principal Randy Petrilla. The plaques, each with a different patriotic design, include more than 600 names of local veterans.
Friday’s program, the eighth annual incarnation at the school, was complete with plenty of red, white and blue symbolism, patriotic music and speeches.
“Today we celebrate the greatest country in the whole world,” Petrilla said. “Freedom came to us only because we had those willing to sacrifice their lives.”
Master Sgt. Jessie Lopez, a native of San Antonio, Texas, now serving at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, invited students to look to their right and left.
“Chances are the person next to you is different. That’s what makes the country great,” Lopez said. “The flag symbolizes unity.”
Lopez also urged students to practice acts of kindness whenever possible. When he served in Iraq, his unit handed out 1,000 soccer balls to Iraqi children. Such acts, he told them, can have a ripple effect of good will.
Capt. Michael Burkenfield of the U.S. Air Force, also serving at MacDill, said America is a “tapestry of many colors.” Immigrants came to this country seeking a better way of life, and their descendants should be prepared to help defend those freedoms.
Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, said this year’s observance was particularly poignant, given the recent shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, and he called for a moment of silence.
America has been blessed, he said, with citizens willing to place themselves in harm’s way to protect freedom and a way of life.
Tayler Shreve, a 13-year-old student at the school, won an essay contest and a $500 U.S. Savings Bond from the Korean War Veterans Association.
“Respecting our veterans is a key part of honoring them,” Tayler wrote.
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