Catholic War Veterans Assembly

To witness a Veteran saluting our flag is truly a grace-filled moment. The sense of dedication and true love for our country may never be expressed better than by those who have served our country. This must have been the shared sentiment of the sixth, seventh and eighth grade students of Saint Anselm School when Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America came to visit them in Bay Ridge on March 8th.

Seventh and eighth grade students created and led an assembly that infused the talents of their classmates. Prayer, The Pledge of Allegiance, and a moving rendition of The National Anthem lent to a heartfelt welcome which was conveyed to the Veterans. Art and poetry were used by the students in order to honor the heroic plights of the visitors. Question and answer segments led to the heart of the meeting.

What resonated for the students was the background they shared with the Veterans - Catholics and New Yorkers - and what a life-changing experience their service was. Mr. Fred Schwally, a self-described "Brooklyn kid", found himself serving his country in Vietnam. The rosary beads Mr. Bernard Hoganson carried during his duty in the Korean War attested to his belief that his faith was the source of his endurance. Mr. Tom Lusnia shared his concern for the younger generation; that they may never personally realize the difficulty of a soldier's life. Mr. Martin O'Reilly, past National Commander of the Catholic War Veterans, then turned the table, honoring the Americanism of the students with citations and a special plaque for the school. Mr. O'Reilly also presented the students with patriotic bracelets from the Veterans' Administration who were impressed by the students' outreach.

While the assembly concluded with a prayer and a farewell steeped in gratitude, its impact is still being felt. Students were impressed, to say the least, by these humble heroes who were proud to have served their country and who were grateful for their lives. When asked by a student to opine on how Veterans' Day should best be celebrated, one gentleman simply said that he was just happy to see how proud the children were of them. Fr. Michael Gelfant noted that "During this time of war, especially with some of our parishioners overseas, it is important to constantly teach our youth the value of service, especially the heroic service given to our country by the members of our Armed Services." Truly, these Catholic War Veterans have touched the future. It is not hard to imagine that one of the students who were present in that auditorium has been forever changed by the sight of these four Veterans so lovingly saluting our flag.