NJROTC Color Guard

Mrs. Ocone and Matt P. present to a Veteran

Sgt. Pamela Smekjal

The Manchester Twp. High School Student Government Association (SGA) held their Fourth Annual Veteran’s Day Recognition Ceremony honoring local veterans on November 13.   The ceremony featured the school’s NJROTC Color Guard and Drill Team and remarks by students and veterans.

This year’s ceremony was dedicated to two Manchester Twp. H.S. alumni, Army Staff Sgt. Branden Kerr (2002), who served in Iraq and received the Purple Heart after being wounded by a roadside bomb last year, and Staff Sgt. Pamela Smekjal (1992), who served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and is currently serving with the NJ National Guard Joint Operations Center.  Smekjal was recognized and shook hands with all of student government members who were standing by.  Kerr was unable to be present.

A special presentation was made by Sgt. Charles Bean of Manchester, who recently returned from a NJ National Guard tour of duty in Iraq.  Bean presented the school with a flag that had flown over his camp in Iraq.  

Class of 2008 President, Matt P., moved many in the audience to tears when he read an essay he had written for a VFW contest.  He said we should not only honor our veterans on one day of the year but should honor them every day.  He suggested that the best way to do that is to listen to their stories and understand what sacrifice means.  “The greatest honor to a hero is to know them and remember them,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Noah Shaffer, who served in Kosovo and the Persian Gulf with the Army Reserve, told the audience that his service really made him appreciate the things we take for granted in the U.S., especially the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Veterans present at the ceremony served in all branches of the service from World War II until today.  Each veteran was introduced and personally presented with a certificate of appreciation by representatives of the student government.