Long Beach Middle School honors vets from six wars

American flags lined the driveway leading to the Long Beach Middle School to greet more than 30 veterans from six wars in honor of Veterans Day last Friday.

The veterans arrived to speak to the entire seventh-grade class about their war-time experiences, and the students and staff gave them a reception they hoped they would never forget. The main hallway was turned into a “Hall of Heroes” decorated with American flags and flags representing each branch of the armed forces. A brass ensemble played as the veterans were escorted down the hall by a student color guard, as students recognized them with enthusiastic applause.

Each classroom paid tribute to a different war with slideshows, pictures and memorabilia. Veterans shared stories and answered questions. They explained how they came to serve in the military, what daily life was like, what they had missed most about home, and what countries they had seen while they were in the service.

Each speaker shared personal stories, recollections and opinions, bringing new meaning to the American history lessons that the students have been studying in their classrooms during the year.Students learned that Louis Cabasino, whose grandson Anthony, an eighth grader at their school, served in the Army Air Force, fighting in both World War II and the Korean War.

“I flew 31 missions over Japan,” Cabasino said. “ Mine was the only crew to make it back alive from the last mission.” Stan Howard, who served in Marine Company K, fought in both the D-Day Invasion and at Okinawa.

“They called us the Fighting First,” Howard recalled. His granddaughter Amanda, a seventh grader, invited him to the celebration.Another WWII veteran, Larry Fried, served as a radio technician in the Navy. “I saw the world aboard a flagship,” he recalled.

“I was in Illinois, Mississippi, San Francisco, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. The way we bombed Japan was incredible — I will never forget the devastation of Hiroshima.”

A Korean War veteran, whose father and uncles all served in WWII, Ed Grant recalled being full of mixed emotions when he was drafted. “I was happy and proud to be serving my country, but also very sad, of course, to be leaving my family,” he said. “The loneliness of being away from your loved ones is one of the hardest things about being a soldier. You have to remember that there was no e-mail in those days. It took six or seven days to get a letter.”

Grant, whose son Keith is serving in Iraq, still feels the sadness of being separated from loved ones. “It’s important to defend our country, but is it worth the life of my son?,” he said. “That’s a tough question. It’s hard sometimes to decide what’s right and wrong until you see the end result.” Several Vietnam veterans shared many of their personal recollections of being out in the field, including eating C-rations left over from WWII.

“It was over 100 degrees most of the time,” recalled Bob Chiappone. “All you had to do to heat your rations was leave them on a rock.” Long Beach resident Erin McKeon, who just returned from serving a year in Iraq as an Army M.P., was the only female veteran.

“While I was away, I learned how lucky I am to be an American woman. Seeing how women are treated in Iraq, it really makes you appreciate the freedoms we have here.”

McKeon was joined by fellow M.P. Peter Brasile, who served in Bosnia and Kosovo before being deployed to Iraq. “When people ask me why we are there, I think of the picture of that woman holding up her ink-stained finger after voting in that first election,” he explained.

Students made a personal connection through their teacher Kerri Rehnback. Her father was a Vietnam War veteran who died from cancer caused by his exposure to Agent Orange.

“That first year we invited a few of my father’s friends to speak, and it’s gotten bigger every year,” she about this now annual event at the middle school. “I do this for the love my father had for this country,” Rehnback said, holding back tears. “I know all the men and women here have the same love. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done.”

“The lessons these veterans taught us today can’t be learned from a textbook,” said fellow teacher Joseph Hoffman, who organizes the celebration every year.

“We get a day off for Veterans Day, but I don’t think most children understand why. Meeting these veterans and hearing their stories helped all of us appreciate what this day is all about.”

Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.