Over two dozen students, veterans and Pullman community members gathered at a Far South Side elementary school Monday morning to continue a nearly quarter-century tradition of Veterans Day ceremonies at the school.
The ceremony at George M. Pullman Elementary, 11311 S. Forestville Ave., honored living and deceased veterans from the Pullman area and highlighted tales of inspiration, grief, community and more.
“It’s so wonderful to have the children involved so they can see those that have served and have an understanding of what it means to stand up for your country and enjoy the freedoms that we have here,” Tom Shepard, committee member on the Pullman Civic Organization, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Doug Stalnos, a first-year principal at Pullman Elementary, jumped at the opportunity to help continue the yearly ceremony at the school to honor those who served.
“It was probably one of the quickest “yeses” I’ve ever given in my life,” Stalnos, 45, said at the ceremony.
Stalnos hopes the ceremony also acts as a source of inspiration for students who might think about enlisting in military service when they get older.
“You never know how somebody’s words or actions can weigh on [a student],” Stalnos told the Sun-Times. “When students look up to somebody, they inspire themselves.”
Anna Ware, whose son was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, expressed appreciation at the ceremony for the care the Pullman community gave to her in 2009 and 2010 while she was mourning her son. But she also called on attendees to give thanks by supporting policies that help veterans, donating food to veterans homes or crafting cards thanking them for their service.
“Yes, we can sit there and say ‘Thank you for your service’ but I [want] you to take action and help the lives of veterans,” Ware told attendees.
Stalnos echoed those sentiments and offered the school as a setting for the ceremony out of respect for those who served.
“When you can go a little bit above and beyond and say — ‘We’re going to open our doors, we’re going to modify our schedule, we’re going to make sure everything is looking great’ — it’s a way of showing respect through actions instead of just words.”
State Sen. Elgie Sims addressed the veterans in attendance.
“We owe you a debt of gratitude that we could never repay,” Sims said. “You have helped make that word ‘freedom’ mean something to us each and every day, not just on Veterans Day.”