GMS Vets
Honoring GMS veterans for their service
Special Edition of "Through our Eyes" News for Students, by Students
A handful of the employees here at Glenridge Midde School are Veterans, believe it or not! Our team from Photo Journalism got to take a special look at these amazing people, ask them a few questions about Veteran's day, and what it means to them. Interviews, writing and design by 7th graders Kyle S., Tony P. and Woody P.
Click on any small photo to enlarge.
Ms. pratt
Ms. Pratt, Meeting Kids Around the World
Ms. Pratt joined the Marine Corps and was on active duty for four years from 1988 until 1992. Next, she joined the Reserves and has been in that since then. In her opinion, her greatest challenges were being called to action three times to serve. The lack of creature comforts was very difficult according to Ms. Pratt, as things like running water, air conditioning, and other things like that were unavailable on active duty. To Ms. Pratt, Veterans Day is a day to remember those who have served, and to honor them for their sacrifices to our country. The children that she met while on active duty, she says, reminded her of GMS students, because they had the same motivation to learn.
Officer Day
Officer Day, Former Special Ops
Officer Day joined the Army in 1976, and continued service for twenty years. To Officer Day, Veterans Day is a day to remember and honor those who have given their lives to make the country safe, so that people like you and I have the freedom to enjoy our day. The hardest part of being in service for Officer Day was leading his men into places that they may never come out of. Officer Day missed his family the most when he was serving, and told the interviewers that coming back home was an amazing feeling, but you almost felt lost after being away all those years. He gave some advice for any students aspiring to join the military: "If you finish school, the military can give you time to think about what you might want to do next in your life."
Mr. Brown
An Inside Look at Mr. Brown, Family Man and Veteran
To Mr. Brown, Veterans Day is a chance to honor all of the men and women who sacrificed their lives, and their time to serve our country. Mr. Brown's greatest challenge was enlisting in the Navy after suffering a loss in the family. Mr. Brown started serving in '88, and served in two wars. During his service, Mr. Brown was a Gunner's Mate, meaning he controlled the cannons on the aircraft carrier. In the year 1997, Mr. Brown headed home. Heading home for Mr. Brown was a happy occasion, because many people gathered to wait for the ship's return. Mr. Brown says that if any GMS students are aspiring to join the military, simply give your best and form your own opinion.
Mr. Berry
Mr. Berry, More than the Average Teacher
Mr. Berry began to serve in the US Army in 1985, and continued to serve all the way through to 1991. While serving, Mr. Berry had to worry about college funds, and saving up enough money to go to college. One of Mr. Berry's greatest challenges was the fact that right before he continued his service, some of the wars overseas had just started, like in Afghanistan. The hardest part about being in service for Mr, Berry, was being thrown into situations which he had never been in before. To Mr. Berry, Veterans Day can be represented by just one word, "Recognition." When Mr. Berry was serving, he would look up at the sky at night and think that all of the stars he was seeing were the same stars people at home saw. That thought motivated him to continue when the going got tough.
GMS Students Visit The Veterans' Clinic in Baldwin Park
Photos and Cards for Veterans at the Clinic
"This Veterans Day we felt the need to spread our thanks!" reported 7th grader Hannah. Students in Photo Journalism classes took photos representing pride in their country and put together cards to honor Veterans at the nearby clinic. After school on Wednesday, a group of students delivered the cards to Veterans at the VA Clinic in Baldwin Park. They got a chance to visit with Veterans, thank them and hear their stories. Hannah said, "This experience was amazing! Seeing all the smiles on their faces was worth it. We learned about what they were in the Armed Forces and some of their background information of what it was like before and during their time served. The hard work that we put into making the cards really paid off! We went into each patient's room and they all seemed overjoyed to get our photo cards. It brought tears to their eyes and happiness to their hearts!"
Video by GMS Students: Honoring Our Veterans
GMS Honors Veterans
About the Authors
Woody P.
I'm Woody. I mostly worked on taking the interviews, and putting them in text form. I was motivated to work on this project because I felt that the Veterans deserved more recognition than they were getting, so I worked with Tony and Kyle to complete this newsletter, to get the veterans the attention they deserved.
Kyle S.
I'm the founder and reporter for this interview. I wanted to do this idea because Veterans deserve respect and recongnition. Veterans are hereos and we should thank them for all their service.
Tony P.
I made most of the interview questions with Kyle. I took the video of the interviews. I picked to do this project because I believe that these Veterans worked so very hard to defend our country. I wanted to repay them with recognizing their sacrifices.