Eric,
Colleen teaches 4th grade in a poor small rural district (northern boundary of the Appalachian poverty belt) & they use old school buildings. Her building houses the entire districts' 3rd & 4th grades. Today, for the 1st time, I was able to attend the annual Memorial Day tribute to veterans there which, I think, is in its 7th year. A 4th grade girl sang "God Bless America" (beautifully, I might add), we all sang "THE Star Spangled Banner", did the Pledge of Allegiance, and then the program continued. They played our service branch songs & all us veterans were asked to stand when the pianist played ours. Then we were asked to stand up front, individually go to the microphone & give our name, service branch & what years we served. After a standing ovation, each vet had a student come up & hand us each a round pin with our flag & an eagle printed on it. Then the students stood with "their vet" & we all sang Lee Greenwoods' "I'm Proud To Be An American". I don't think any of us vets sang the whole song...too busy dryin' our eyes!! The best was yet to come....my count was 8 little guys & gals holding up pictures 0f their "Brothers", "Sisters", "Uncles", & "Daddies", while reading poems about how they loved, missed, & were proud of their beloved deployed family members. At that point, you'd have had to have been a statue to have dry eyes.
I WILL be at that program every year! It was a beautiful tribute that I wish all of you could have experienced.

"Through the eyes of a child...."

Mike