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When Robert Veney finds himself reminiscing about his 25 years in the Air Force, it's usually at his granddaughters' requests.
"We talk about [my service] only when they ask me, and they do that quite often," said Veney of Temple Hills.
On Tuesday, he was reminiscing once again, this time while watching his granddaughters, third-grader Brianna McCatrey and first-grader Tiara McCatrey of Bowie, sing patriotic songs as part of a Veterans Day celebration at Northview Elementary School in Bowie.
The celebration was organized by Northview music teacher Lynette Truske to teach the students about the reasons behind Veterans Day and to honor veterans in the community. The event serves as a way for veterans to teach their children and grandchildren about their sacrifices and the meaning of serving in the armed forces, Truske said.
"[Veterans] crave this. They want their children to know," Truske said. "A lot of Veterans Days come and go without anyone recognizing them."
More than 50 Northview families had veteran family members and about 35 veterans came to the musical program, Truske said, adding that one military member drove five hours to be there for the program.
Despite the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, programs to honor veterans are infrequent, Veney said.
"I think the fact that they are coming from so far away means that they aren't seeing [the celebrations] in the community," he said.
As part of the program, the Bowie High School Junior ROTC presented the flag and Paul Deafenbaugh, a bugler from the Coast Guard's Ceremonial Honor Guard, played taps, a bugle call often played at military funerals. The students also sang several patriotic songs, including "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a snare drum and xylophone-accompanied version of the "Caisson Song." Afterward, they presented veterans in attendance with gift bags.
"It's to my benefit to let my grandchildren and everyone else know what it was like to be a veteran in service," said William Armstrong of Silver Spring, who served in the Air Force from 1961 to 1966. Armstrong came to watch his grandchildren, third-grader Deja Distance and first-grader Victor McCoy, in the program.
This was the first time the school held a Veterans Day program, Truske said.
"The children really don't have an understanding of what a veteran is," she said.
In the Ohio community where Truske began her teaching career, a Veterans Day celebration was a tradition, she said. Watching a 21-gun salute and hearing veterans weep while speaking about their time in the armed forces made Truske realize students should learn about the sacrifices people have made before them, she said.
Fifth-grader Deja Williams of Bowie said while preparing for the program she learned about military customs, such as burials at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. She was left unsure whether the day should be for celebration or to be remorseful for the loss of life.
"I guess you're happy that the veterans that died had helped America," she said.
E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net.
