Smiles decorated the faces of Coronado Middle School students as U.S. veterans and current service members paraded through a “Line of Gratitude” procession the Thursday before Veteran’s Day, surrounded by small American Flags waved in the air.
The procession – mostly parents of the schoolchildren – was part of a larger celebration that featured speeches and ringing applause inside the school’s Granzer Hall as part of the 14th annual “Take a Veteran to School Day.”
Take a Veteran to School Day is an initiative started by The HISTORY Channel to honor veterans and let students hear their stories of service.
At the middle school, there are over 200 military-affiliated students, according to demographics reported by district leaders in October. District-wide, 33% of students are military connected.
“It’s a meaningful thing to honor them,” said Coronado councilmember and mayor-elect John Duncan. “It’s kind of bittersweet … This is the first one I’ve ever been to where there were no WWII veterans, and last year there were two.”
“There’s one common theme, a tie that bonds all these groups together, and that’s a sense of service,” said Naval Base Coronado Capt. Loren Jacobi. “That spirit of service is how we build bridges rather than walls.”
