Some Enchanted Evening

One-hundred-year-old Eva Trager stood out among a crowd of outstanding WWII veterans who gathered at Cheshire High School Wednesday night. 

Trager was recognized for her service as a member of SPAR, the women’s reserve of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. Asked about her active duty, Trager said, “It wasn’t easy. We did training like the boys did.”

Despite being one of the few women serving in the Coast Guard at the time, Trager said the guardsmen treated her as an equal.

Social Science Department Head Ralph Zingarella and English teacher Dawn DeMeo held the reception to bring together the vets and students -  who are three generations removed from the war. 

“This is a wonderful collection of heroes,”  Zingarella said. He pointed out the veterans in the room had served in Africa, Italy and Europe. “One liberated a concentration camp,” he said.

Following the reception, DeMeo invited the vets to attend a special performance of the musical South Pacific which has a WWII-era theme. The musical continues through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Thorp Auditorium. Members of the school's National Honor Society escorted the vets to the reception and to the auditorium.

DeMeo said both of her grandfathers served in WWII which contributed to her decision to present South Pacific this year. She noted that the more than 100 WWII-themed posters on  were created by students. 

Superintendent of Schools Greg Florio said the event gave students an opportunity to make a connection with the living history of the war through the vets. “They can take that understanding with them the rest of their lives,” he said.

It truly was “Some Enchanted Evening.”