Russell School Honors Marple Newtown Veterans

BROOMALL–On Friday, Russell Elementary School honored local veterans with a special assembly dedicated just for them. John Wing, of Broomall, and Rob Carroll, of Newtown Square, both of the Valley Forge Fife and Drum also showed up on Friday morning to kick off the dedicated ceremony to veterans. 

Legionnaires and veterans from Marple Memorial Post 805 also performed their own special presentation for the students. Veterans showed students how to properly fold the American flag while teaching them what the 13 stripes on the flag symbolized.

Jack Casta, who served with the U.S. Navy aboard U.S.S. Dewey from 1972-1978, helped present the folding of the flag to the students on Friday. But one of his favorite parts of the day was Lindsay Kiefer's fourth-grade class Veterans Day video presentation.

A special video presentation honoring veterans was made by Kiefer's class and shown during Friday's assembly. According to Kiefer, this is the second year for the Veterans Day video project. This year, students conducted interviews for three weeks to staff and peers at Russell about Veterans Day.

"We want them to recognize veterans all the time and not just on one day," said Kiefer about the main goal of the project.

Marple Memorial Post 805 Commander Dave Garvey said the school's Veterans Day assembly was truly an "honor."

"It's an honor. It's always an honor," said Garvey. "To be honored by these children is very, very special."

Marple Memorial Post's veterans and legionnaires at Friday's assembly included:

• Jack Casta, U.S. Navy
• Dave Garvey, U.S. Marine Corps
• Jerry Sweeley, U.S. Army
• John McComb, U.S. Army
• George Peel, Army Air Corps
• Dick Phillips, U.S. Air Force
• Larry Snyder, U.S. Army
• Jerry Bates, U.S. Navy
• Dom DiMento, U.S. Navy
• Jim Himes, U.S. Army
• Mike Thomas, U.S. Air Force
• Guy Orlando, U.S. Navy