Fla. cadets salute veterans as U.S heroes

 

 

(1)
(Standing, from left) Cadet Staff Sgt. Andrew Gelbard, Cadet Airman Eddie Thompson and Cadet Airman 1st Class Ted Schroeders listen as Cadet Staff Sgt. Zackery Macdonald
practices his Patriot Pen speech.

 (2)
At the Republican Club’s Real Heroes Luncheon (from left) cadets Eddie Thompson, John Clark, Andrew Gelbard, Ted Schroeders and Zackery Macdonald pose for a photo with the guest of honor, retired Air Force Lt. Irwin Stovroff, a World War II Army Air Corps B-24 Bombardier, former prisoner of war and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and founder of Vets Helping Returning Heroes, an organization providing service dogs to injured soldiers.

(3)
Cadet Staff Sgt. Zackery Macdonald speaks about honoring U.S. military heroes. Listening to the young cadet is retired Air Force Lt. Irwin Stovroff.

(4)
Cadet Staff Sgt. Andrew Gelbard delivers his Voice of Democracy speech.


1st Lt. Jackie Zarrilli
Public Affairs Officer
Cadet Programs
Florida Wing

FLORIDA – On the eve of Veterans Day, for Boca Raton Composite Squadron cadets the topic for discussion is heroes.

“Does America Still Have Heroes?” and “When Is The Right Time To Honor Our Military Heroes?” are the respective themes for this year’s Veterans of Foreign Wars high school Voice of Democracy and middle school Patriot Pen contests.

For the past seven years, cadets from the Boca Raton squadron have participated in these annual essay speech competitions. Each year cadets have taken first, second and or third place with local VFW Post 10556 and have moved up to the next level, where several have earned first, second and or third place awards. 
 
Squadron leaders sees this as a win-win opportunity for their cadets.  As they research their essays they learn American history. Senior members work with them to improve their writing and speaking skills. The cadets are given opportunities to delivery their speeches at Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies and local community events, such as the “Real Heroes” luncheon recently sponsored by the Boca Raton Republican Club.

At this event, eighth-grader Cadet Staff Sgt. Zackery Macdonald told the audience, “Personally I honor our heroes as much as possible, whether it’s thanking them for their service or striving for the best in school or Civil Air Patrol … I soon found out that honoring a hero tells them that they not only did their duty for their country, but that they also made an impact on the younger generation.”

“Heroes in America come in many different forms and are heroes for many reasons,” said sophomore Cadet Staff Sgt. Andrew Gelbard, also a featured speaker at the luncheon.
 
Cadet Airman Etan Vann said, “When a child thinks of heroes he thinks of Superman, Spider-Man, Fantastic 4, etc. … But a hero could be that fireman shooting the smoke-polluting monster of fire from destroying the structure, or that doctor that is saving a woman from the abominable black lump that affects one in eight women, called breast cancer, and, of course, the soldiers protecting the motherland from enemies.”

Cadet Airman Basic Diondre Noel said in his essay, “There are a few days that can be counted as a significant day for giving recognition to our patriots.”

Cadet Airman 1st Class Ted Schroeders wrote, “Does America still have heroes … in my eyes, the answer is: Absolutely! America has a long continuous line of heroes that dates back to its inception.”

For Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Judah Brown, “A hero is one who acts in the interest of others. They are constantly working and are oftentimes left unnoticed.”

As to why Americans should honor their veterans, Cadet Airman Austin Budney said, “When the time came that soldiers were needed, they stepped out of their lives and into a battlefield and fought bravely for our country.”
 
The squadron’s cadet commander, Chief Master Sgt. Zachary Weinbaum, said, “I believe that any human being that commits themselves to standing up and fighting for America and saving lives is a hero.”

Cadet Airman Eddie Thompson expressed a similar point: “In my opinion our military heroes are and should be important to us because of all the things they have done for us.”

Summing up the discussion, Cadet Staff Sgt. Alexander Falcone put into words the feelings of most of his Civil Air Patrol colleagues: “Those who have fought and died in combat have paid greatly for our freedoms today. Anyone who has ever taken an oath to protect this country is a hero to me.

“I thank them every day for my freedom of speech, my right to vote and my privilege to live in a democratic America. I thank them for what they have done, for what they do and what they will do in the future. I honor them for their courage, for their endurance and for the inspiration they give me as I prepare to serve my country.

“To me each and every serviceman and -woman is a hero.”