Local veterans were welcomed with warmth and gratitude at New Hope-Solebury High School on Wednesday, November 12, as the district’s Social Studies Department hosted its annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon and Veterans Day program.
The day began with veterans arriving at the high school to visit social studies classrooms. Small groups of students in 9th through 12th grade rotated through rooms where veterans from different eras shared candid stories of service, sacrifice, and what military life had meant to them, giving students a unique opportunity to connect the history they read about in textbooks with the experiences of those who were actually there.
“I’ve been here over ten years and this event has been going on since before that,” said social studies teacher, Kevin Nord who described how veterans from as far back as the Vietnam and Korean Wars to more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were participants in the day’s program.
Following the classroom visits, the veterans were escorted to the district boardroom, where they were seated for the formal recognition ceremony and luncheon.
Principal Sasse opened the program by greeting the veterans and acknowledging both their service and their time spent with students earlier in the morning.
“I want to thank you for your service and dedication not only to our country, but also to our community, and also for those of you who took the time this morning to speak to our students,” he said. “The impact that has is so great and so vast. It really brings learning to life for our students.”
Sasse then introduced the New Hope-Solebury chamber choir, led by director Hollie Roberts, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Next, Superintendent Dr. Charles W. Lentz addressed the audience. “This is one of my favorite days of the year to have all of you come back and meet with the students,” he said. “As Dr. Sasse said, our students read about history in books, but they don’t necessarily understand the stories behind it and the personal experiences people have, and having you here to be able to elaborate about your experiences is incredibly powerful to them.”
Dr. Lentz noted that his own family had a deep tradition of service.
“I come from a family that has a very long history in the service dating back to the War of 1812. I believe we had family in every war up to the Korean War,” he said. “So I can understand from a family perspective as well the impact that your service has had on your family and the contributions and efforts that they had to put forward to allow you to serve this country.”
He also reflected on his role on the planning committee for the Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
“In those five years I was chairing the educational component for the 250th and working on all the educational materials,” he explained. “It really does bring to heart the history of our country over the last 250 years and what the impact has been, and interestingly, Philadelphia’s contribution to that and the Philadelphia area. Doing that research and understanding the contextual continuity of service in this country and in this area was powerful.”
Following Dr. Lentz’s remarks, student musician Stephanie Shonis performed patriotic selections, adding a personal and artistic touch to the morning’s observance. Then members of local Girl Scout Troop 21724, composed of tenth-grade students, stepped forward to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
After the recognition program concluded, veterans were invited to enjoy a buffet-style luncheon prepared by staff from both the high school and middle school.
Among those veterans was James McCauley, an Air Force veteran who now drives a school bus for the district. He said he hoped students would consider the military as a path for personal growth.
“If they are not going to go to college they should decide on a branch of the service to join,” he said. “I think it’s good character building.”
Air Force veteran Roger Riedley, who served in the Philippines and the United States and has lived in the community for 40 years, said the military had changed the course of his life.
“I wasn’t the greatest high school student, but I learned very quickly in the military that education was important,” he said. “So I started going to college while in the military and when I got out I finished and it was all paid for by the military. So it worked out well for me. It gave me a chance to grow up.”
Riedley, a former school board member who helped oversee the construction of the current building, said returning for this event felt like coming home.
For Vietnam veteran and New Hope-Solebury graduate Cliff Funk, the day stirred powerful memories of his return from overseas.
“I’m not ashamed to admit that when I flew back to the U.S. after service in Vietnam for a year and then landed into Ft. Lewis, Washington, I went down the gangplank and kissed the ground because you don’t appreciate what you have until you don’t have it for a year,” he recalled.
Navy veteran John Newfield, originally from Abington and a Vietnam veteran who moved to New Hope in 1973, shared his hope that future conflicts could be resolved without war.
“You are always going to have conflicts, but I think conflicts should be settled through negotiations,” he said. “I know what I saw in Vietnam and it wasn’t pretty. Coming home made me really appreciate what I had.”
Newfield said it was meaningful to return to a school district that remains small and community-oriented. Both of his daughters graduated from New Hope-Solebury High School.
Air Force member Tom Wittwer, who joined the military 19 years ago and continues active duty, described how he felt embraced by the school district as a result of this program.
“The students have been wonderful and the staff and administration have been so grateful and inviting to host us all,” Wittwer said. “It’s so nice to see such a great turnout of veterans. The school district has really helped us feel valued in the community today.”
