PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Elizabeth Castaneda and Rosa Pinto of the Lynn English High JROTC drill team salute during Breed Middle School’s Memorial Day assembly on Friday.
BY DILLON DURST
LYNN — A handful of veterans were present Friday at Breed Middle School for its Memorial Day assembly.
The presentation was dedicated to servicemen and women of the armed forces who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Lynn Public Schools Superintendent Catherine Latham opened the assembly by thanking veterans for their sacrifices.
Michael Zimirowski, Breed’s vice principal, said it’s important that students realize that freedom isn’t free.
“You can’t tell a kid how important something is; you have to show them,” said Michael Sweeney, Lynn’s director of veterans services.
After The National Anthem, members of the school’s choir sang The Star Spangled Banner and “In Flanders Field.”
The assembly also honored late Navy Yeoman First Class Rob Hecker, who died in August. Hecker served in the Navy from 1979 to 1988 and was also a member of the Connecticut Honor and Remember Chapter. The chapter’s mission, according to its website, is “to create, establish and promote a nationally recognized flag that would fly continuously as a visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms.”
Patrick Burke, a member of the U.S. Air Force and General Electric’s Veterans Council, said that it was nice to see all the kids present, and be able to remind them how important Memorial Day is. Burke recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan in October, and is a 21-year military veteran.
The Lynn English High JROTC presented colors and performed several drill maneuvers.
Teacher Julie Collins, who organized Friday’s event, said she felt very proud of the fact that all of the present JROTC members were Breed School alums. Collins also serves as an advisor to the Breed School Leadership Academy, which is a JROTC program for middle school students.
Members of the military who had passed away were also honored during the assembly, each family receiving a small American flag.
Dillon Durst can be reached at [email protected].
