BY PAT FARNELLI
Correspondent
US Army Sergeant Ken Cuomo asked for a volunteer from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades who were the toughest, strongest and bravest in their classes.
U.S. Army Sergeant Ken Cuomo, son of the Elk Lake superintendent, spoke to the elementary school on Veterans Day.
“I’m a squad leader of 12 Men, so I want them to be tough and strong and brave,” he said. “Let me pick the toughest, strongest, bravest of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades here,” he said, choosing three volunteers.
The students attempted to carry a backpack full of Army gear across the stage, and do a few pushups.
“Why do we do this? It is based on our love of our country” he said.
Cuomo also asked the students what they say when they meet a veteran. Several said that they say “Hi.” He suggested saying, “Thank you for your service.”
Cuomo told the students that he was a student at Elk Lake until he graduated with the class of 2005. He went on to graduate from Lock Haven University in 2011 and is currently completing his second Masters degree in school psychology.
“I want to work with kids in a classroom,” he said.
David Wilcox has his hair cut by Natalie Barlow at the SCCTC’s cosmetology program as part of their free haircuts, manicures, and chair massages offered to veterans on Veterans Day.
He is currently serving with the US Army Reserves in Oswego, N.Y., and went to Afghanistan with a bomb detection team.
Other local veterans were warmly greeted and honored on the Elk Lake and Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center campuses for Veterans Day observances on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Veterans met for breakfast and then stopped for a free haircut, manicure, or chair massage at the cosmetology department of the SCCTC.
At the high school, Veterans Day assemblies were conducted throughout the day, with music by the junior high band, the Drama Club, choruses, and the entire audience.
Elementary Principal Marc Weisgold greeted the veterans and said, “All great things are simple, love, faith, hope, grace. I looked up a definition of grace, and it fit perfectly for veterans. Grace is a favor rendered by one who need not do so.”
Weisgold continued to explain how veterans have sacrificed greatly out of their love for their country and to protect the freedoms of those they love and multitudes that they have never met.
John Miner from the American Legion explained the story of the poppy to the students. “After the Normandy invasion in WWI, Flanders fields were full of wild poppies growing on the battlefields,” he said. “People saw the red flowers blooming where the soldiers had fallen, and shortly after WWI, the poppy became a symbol of veterans.”
The red poppy was chosen as the official flower of the American Legion by 1921.
American Legion posts sell fabric poppies for funds to help disabled hospitalized veterans. This started as a tradition for Memorial Day, then spread to Veterans Day.
Reese Warriner, Marty Kinella, and Krista Jones read their winning essays about “What Freedom Means to Me.”
Elementary school music teacher Ryan Berry led the chorus and rest of the students in “Grand Old Flag” and other patriotic tunes.
Veterans attending the Elk Lake program included: David Jenner, John Miner of East Rush (Army, Dominican Republic); Ken Cuomo of Elk Lake (Army Reserves, Afghanistan); Dan Albertson, Army, Mechanic of a B57 bomber; Ed Miner of Friendsville, Marines; Wayne Oakley of Nicholson, Air Force and Air Defense Command: Norman Colley, Army, communications for Bush and Clinton, NATO, Korea; Janice Gavern of Elk Lake, aircraft maintenance officer, Air Force; Russell Nowalk of Elk Lake, Gordon Baker, Viet Nam; Ken Matthews, US Navy Hospital Department; Fred Baker, First District Commander of the American Legion, served as Chief Warrant Officer in Viet Nam; Ed Miner of Friendsville, Marines; David Wilcox, Montrose, Air Force; Albert Robinson of Laceyville, Army; Dale Dayton, Montrose, Army; James Hawley Sr. of Forest Lake, Army.
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