Veteran Recognition Event Is a Class Act

"Have your friends ever died in the war?" "What was the most dangerous place you've ever been to?" "If you have a pet, can you bring them with you?"

These were just a few of the questions that fifth-graders at asked Lt. Mike Thornton, a retired Navy SEAL and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. 

Thornton was the guest speaker at Wednesday's "Take a Vet to School Day," where more than 70 veterans from around San Diego gathered to visit classrooms and talk to students. Time Warner Cable and The History Channel sponsored the event, which was the only one of its kind in Southern California.

Elsewhere in the country, about 6,000 schools participated in Take a Vet to School Day. Besides Coronado, the nearest schools were in Las Vegas and Bakersfield, CA.

Coronado's event included a group of retired Navy SEAL(s) who skydived into the high school football stadium. "USA! USA! USA!" the students cheered, as they stomped their feet on the bleachers and the men parachuted from the sky.

Later, the veterans joined the fourth- and fifth-graders at an assembly, where Thornton spoke and each veteran was recognized by name. As a final thank you, the students stood before the veterans and sang, "God Bless the USA" (aka "I'm Proud to Be an American.") Halfway through the performance, the veterans all stood to face the students—a moment that prompted goose bumps and tears from many in the audience, including Village Principal Deeba Zaher.    

Much of the credit for Take a Vet to School Day is due to Amy Steward, a fifth-grade teacher at Village and wife of a retired Navy SEAL who, despite retirement, is currently serving in Afghanistan.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming. I can't tell you what it means to me. I'm a Navy junior myself," said Steward, who lived in Coronado when her father was stationed in Vietnam. "For my students, Veterans Day will never be the same."

Steward helped bring the event to Coronado last year, and because it was such a success, Time Warner Cable and the History Channel returned for a second year.  

"Amy does the whole thing," said Superintendent Jeff Felix, who mentioned the school district's local planning council, a group of parents that work with the administration to help new military families transition into Coronado.

"It was a no-brainer for us to come to Village Elementary because so many families in Coronado have active-duty military members," said Marc Farrar of Time Warner Cable.

According to Felix, about 35 percent of students in the come from military families. That statistic jumps to about 70 percent at , which is adjacent to military housing. And about 25 percent of the students at Village Elementary come from military families.

Farrar added: "It is really meaningful for us to come to this school specifically, because the students can bring their parents." And grandparents. "Many of them say, 'My grandchild is the reason I'm here.'" 

But there was one student whose dad wasn't able to be there—in person, at least. Fifth-grader Blanchard Seniff's father, Capt. Todd Seniff, is a Navy SEAL currently serving in the Middle East. Seniff was Skyped in on a computer at the assembly.

"Hi, Dad!" Blanchard said. "Hey, Blanch!" he replied. The crowd watched as the father and son greeted each other, acting as if it were standard procedure to be talking to a computer screen. Later, Seniff thanked his son's classmates for taking care of Blanchard. "To all of you kids with parents who are serving, you are all serving as well," he said.     

With so many veterans present, Seniff's son found himself in good hands. Blanchard spent most of the day by Thornton's side. And when a fifth-grader asked the Medal of Honor recipient about being a good "teammate," Thornton cited Capt. Seniff as the reason he was there. "Friends step in for each other. That's what friends do," he said. "I know Blanchard is real proud of his dad, and I am, too."

This kind of interaction between the veterans and the students characterized the day.

"The military is made up of men and women who are just like you. They grew up just like you and went to school, and then at some point, they decided they wanted to serve our country," Lt. Col. John Downey said.  

The retired Marine shared his experiences with Crystal Garner's fifth-grade class. He brought his plaques and badges for them to look at and touch, which wowed the students.

But for fifth-grader Brent Foster, the real question was: "So, in the Army-Navy game, who do you root for?"

Downey's response: "The Navy—of course."

Thornton's speech was one of strength and empowerment. "Anything you put your mind to in life, you can do it," he said. He talked about setting goals and knowing when to ask for help. "If you get knocked down, you get back up, because this is a country where you can do that."

One of Garner's students asked, "Do people scare you when you're in the military?" And Thornton replied, "There is always fear. But you take that fear, you tunnel it, and you do something with it."

He told the class, "You're so lucky to live in a community that cares so much about you."

At the end of the day, Garner's students gave handwritten thank you notes to each of the speakers, including Garner's husband, Randy Garner, who also talked with the class. Garner is the commanding officer of the USS Freedom. 

The overwhelming message of the event was that every day should be Veterans Day, especially in a city such as Coronado, where there are so many active military members.

"If you see them in uniform, what should you say?" Thornton asked.

"Thank you!" the students cheered.

"That's right," he said. "It means so much to them."