Veterans honored with lunch celebration

Eleven Veterans brave enough to serve in the military joined students, teachers and staff in the cafeteria on November 9 during A lunch for a celebration in their honor.

Culinary students prepared dessert while instructor Richard Vaughan set up the main course food. The food ranged from pineapple upside down cake to lasagna. Students Emily Testa and Sabrina Castro and assisted with making the food and giving it out to veterans.

“ My grandpa was in the service so I felt it was right to help honor our veterans,” Testa said.  

“ I wanted to thank the veterans for their service,” Castro said. “ It was such a good experience. I would do it again next year.”

Anthony Leventhal, father of senior Michael Leventhal, joined the service from 1970-1973 in the U.S. Army right after he graduated from high school. He was stationed at the Germany-Czech Republic border where he was trained to launch missiles at the enemy aircrafts attempting to cross the border. Leventhal remembered how the enemies would send aircrafts over to mess with them or to test them. They would have to get ready with full armor just to take it all back off again.

“We would run out to get everything ready and they would turn around and go back to their base,” Leventhal said.

Not regretting a moment of the service, “I would do it again,”  Leventhal said.

Proudly wearing a cap stating “Woman Veteran,” Oneka Henry, mother of junior Nazir Forbes, shared her experience of working as a cook in the U.S. Army in Fort Worth, Texas and in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Saudi Arabia. She said it was definitely tough and [those who serve] have to make sacrifices, but it is worth it all in the end.

“[There are] “pros and cons” [but] I don’t regret it, not one day,” Henry said.

Sitting next to Henry was Albert Forbes, a member of the U.S. Army since 2000. He joined immediately after high school. Forbes served in Fort Bliss, Texas, Georgia, Iraq and Jordan. His experience of bonding with his troop left a lasting impact, meeting people who will forever stay in his life.

“[Because we get so close], the people that I met in 2000, they’re still some of my best friends right now,” Forbes said.

Reading teacher Michael Boggus served in the Air Force from 1997- 2000 at a military base in South Dakota. Working as a jet mechanic fixing problems with B1 Bombers, he had to handle working in -6 degrees some nights. Although Boggus was unable to attend the luncheon this year, he enjoyed what they do and how they honored those who served.

“I loved it. I did it last year,” Boggus said. “No other school does any type of recognition like that.”