Cranberry High School honors veterans during annual program

The senior high band, along with some members of junior high band and accompanied by the junior and senior high chorus, performed each branch of the armed forces’ songs along with old battle hymns and other patriotic tunes.

Several students from Debra Mathews’ 10th and eighth-grade English classes read poetry they spent the last month perfecting. The poems invoked mixed emotions, primarily grief, love, gratefulness and pride for America.

“I am very pleased with my students because they wrote from the heart. That’s what makes poetry effective,” Mathews said.

The poems often discussed topics such as missing family, losing a son or making the difficult decision to travel overseas to serve. Others examined more symbolic issues, most notably the flag and what it means to each individual.

In addition, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson discussed his views of veterans. He said he was humbled to have the opportunity to talk to the students.

During his speech, Hutchinson mentioned that “Every veteran, every team member, should be proud of his or her service.”

Hutchinson also said his father served in the military, and he remembered how difficult that time was. He recalled how his father would never want to talk about his service, yet he was still proud of the fact he did aid his country and do his part to preserve freedoms and rights.

The second annual Cranberry Alumni Award was given at the program to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Paul Allaman, who joined the Army right out of high school and became one of the first soldiers to fight in Iraq during the campaign to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

Cranberry High School senior Carly Wice, president of the National Honor Society, hosted Friday’s Veterans Day assembly. (Photo by AJ Howard, Cranberry High School)

Art classes as well as Janet Smith’s family consumer science class provided decorations along with sweets. Posters adorned the walls in the commons thanks to the many homeroom classes that participated in the patriotic poster contest.

The students said that “veterans, people who lay down their lives to protect us and surrender a normal family life for the responsibility of maintaining the freedom of our country, are critical to the prospering of America. There is no way for us citizens to properly express our gratitude, but there are efforts we can put forward to protect what our soldiers are so valiantly fighting for.”