Patriotic Tribute Honors Veterans at Immaculate HS In Danbury

**News Release Submitted by Immaculate High School**

Nov. 11, 2024

Duty, honor, country. That is the higher call veterans answer to, speakers told Immaculate High School students Friday.

The Veterans Day Tribute is a beloved annual tradition at Immaculate, filled with music, speeches and patriotism.

The school’s Inspire Choir sang as the military color guard presented the United States and military flags. Those in attendance included local distinguished veterans, students, faculty, staff, Immaculate alumnus and state Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Saadi and keynote speaker Retired Colonel Tom Mertens, a former Immaculate teacher. School leaders recognized each local veteran at the assembly and presented them with a gift recognizing their service.

Mertens urged students to think about what life was like for those in our military and their family at home. “When you think of the veterans, you don’t think of the fact that many of them are stationed overseas away from family and friends for extended periods of time,” Mertens recalled, telling students about his three years stationed in Germany. “Families back here of veterans deployed also had to sacrifice. They don’t know every time they hear a story on the news about an accident…was it my son or my daughter?”

Danbury native, Immaculate alumnus and veteran Thomas J. Saadi ‘88 reminded Mustangs that support of all veterans goes beyond party affiliation or loyalty. “We must honor them, those who have served and those who continue to serve, by remembering - no matter our personal feelings about local, state or national politics or policy - that we must always come together as people and as a nation to support our men and women when they serve in uniform and when they come home,” he said.

Immaculate presented a check for $2,160 to the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs. The money was raised by the school’s community members who purchased flags with yellow ribbons to recognize a special veteran by name. Immaculate’s Veterans Hill of Honor is displayed on the school’s front lawn so passersby can see it.