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Monday, November 10, 2014

Happy Veterans Day!



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On November 11, America celebrates Veterans Day. It is the day we honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Veterans Day is a national holiday! 


Photo by Mrs. Yollis









Veterans: Men and women who have served in the armed forces.
Soldiers: Men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces.



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Here is a link to a wonderful BrainPop video entitled
Armed Forces. 

What did you learn about the 
army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard?





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Here is a link to a wonderful Veterans Day blog post by Mrs. Hembree in Seattle, Washington. Read about her father-in-laws service and see photos from his Honor Flight to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.  




Photo honoring veterans at the World War II Memorial.


Photo by Joe Hembree




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In class, we will be sending holiday cards to active military personnel. Chance and Nate are in a Cub Scout Troop, and they provided the cards for the "Holiday Cards for the Troops" project. 




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Are any of your relatives or friends veterans?



Please tell us about them and thank them for their service to America!

46 comments:

  1. Hi Mrs. Yollis and class,

    From the BrainPop video I learned what SEAL stands for in Navy Seals.

    My great-grandfather (the father of my grandma, Barb) was in the Navy and served in World War II. He served on a destroyer. It was called the USS Gainard. He had four brothers. All five of the brothers were in the armed forces during the war. They were in four branches of the military.

    Also, my grandfather was an army veteran and two of my great-uncles were in the Vietnam war.

    What can you do to honor veterans?

    Sincerely,
    ★★★★★
    Troy
    ★★★★★

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Troy,

      Thank you for honoring all of the Veterans in our family by remembering them today in your blog post.

      You asked what can we do to honor Veterans? Keeping the memory of their service alive by talking about them and retelling their stories is a good start.

      I have made a scrapbook of all of your Great-Grandpa's WWII memorabilia. There are maps of Japan with markings showing the whole route his Destroyer took and each port they stopped at. There are black and white photos of Hiroshima and your Great-Grandpa and his shipmates on the USS Gainard. There is also a piece of metal from a Japanese war plane.

      The most precious item for me was your Great-Grandpa's personal journal where he wrote down all that happened to him from the time he enlisted in the Navy until the time he was discharged after the war was over.

      The next time you are in Wisconsin and we go to visit Great-Grandma, I would like to show you that scrapbook. It would be a nice way to honor your Great-Grandpa by learning about what he did in the Navy so you too can keep the memory of his service alive.

      I used a big word in my post - memorabilia. Do you know what that word means?

      Your blogging Grandma,
      Barb (Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin)

      Delete
    2. @ Troy,

      Thank you so much for kicking off a great comment section by sharing about your family's military service. It gives us all a chance to talk about them and learn about history.

      You mentioned that you learned was SEAL meant. Please share!

      I just looked up USS Gainard on Google and saw a photo of your great-grandfather's destroyer. Check it out!

      You asked what we can do to honor veterans. One thing we can do is to ask our veterans about their service and listen to what they have to say. It is important that we learn about military service and history from the men and women who have given so much.

      The stories shared here in the comment section are a wonderful way to honor our veterans.

      Respectfully,
      Mrs. Y♥llis


      Delete
    3. @Grandma,

      I would absolutely love to look at the scrapbook when we come there next summer. I looked up what memorabilia means and it means something like a souvenir or something worthy of saving or remembering.

      @ Mrs. Yollis,

      Yes, my mom showed me pictures of the USS Gainard yesterday. I liked seeing it again in class today. I also liked seeing the ship that Nicholas' grandpa was on. You asked me to write what SEALS stands for. It stands for sea, air and land.

      This is really interesting reading about other people's relatives.

      Sincerely,
      Tr★y

      Delete
    4. Carol (friend of Barb, Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin)November 12, 2014 at 8:36 PM

      Hi Troy and Classmates,
      I find it very fascinating that your great-grandfather was one of five siblings who all served in the armed forces in four different branches. I am very privileged to have known your great-grandfather as I am a friend of your grandmother from Wisconsin, and she and I have been friends since high school.

      My own father and my father-in-law served in the army during WWII. Although my father-in-law was too frail to go on the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight to Washington DC, we honored him at Miller Park during a special ceremony for all WWII veterans on August 11, 2012. We created a photo book about his service, and we had our own mail call of letters from his family. This special event was a wonderful way to thank him for his service in WWII and for all he did to preserve freedom for us and for generations to come. We even helped to set a world record for the largest movie premiere (first time showing).

      In my post, I used the word, "sibling." What is a sibling? Do you have any siblings?

      I also mentioned Miller Park. Where in Wisconsin is Miller Park? Which sports team plays at Miller Park?

      I will check back to read your answers. This class blog is a great learning tool!

      Keep up the great work,
      Carol

      Delete
    5. @Troy,

      You discovered the correct definition of memorabilia. Good for you. I am very proud of you!

      Do you think you could tell me how to make that cool star you used in your name instead of the letter o?

      @Carol,

      Thank you so much for participating in family blogging month and adding such a thoughtful post. You and I are very lucky to have such wonderful Veteran's in our families.

      Have you ever participated in a blog like this before?

      This is my first experience with it and I think it is so much fun.

      Sincerely,
      Barb (Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin)

      Delete
    6. @Carol,
      Thank you for visiting the blog. How was your experience blogging? You asked what siblings means and it means any brothers or sisters. Yes, I do have siblings -- a sister who is 4 and a brother who is 7. You also asked about Miller Park. It is in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Brewers play at Miller Park. We went and saw a Brewers game at Miller Park. It was a lot of fun!

      @Grandma,
      To make that star, I used HTML code. Instead of typing the letter o, I type & # 9 7 3 3 ; but without the spaces. Want to try it? There is a blog post on it. Search for "html code" on this blog!

      From,
      Tr★y

      Delete
    7. @Troy,

      Thank you for the tip on how to make the star. I found the HTML Code post and watched the video. I also found the whole list of codes for special characters. I'm going to try the heart special character. Wish me luck!

      I remember in one of your previous posts you had used italics to show which words were nouns. Now I know how you did that. It really does make a person's writing more interesting!

      Your blogging Gr♥ndm♥,
      B♥rb (Troy's Gr♥ndm♥ from Wisconsin)

      Delete
    8. Carol (friend of Barb, Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin)November 15, 2014 at 6:47 PM

      @Troy,
      You answered my questions perfectly. I'm having a good experience blogging. This blogging site is truly amazing! ( I learned from your classmates' video tips to use only one exclamation point.) Your writing is so advanced from what I would expect from a third grader.

      I'm glad to hear you had fun at Miller Park. I had fun with my granddaughter this afternoon at the Milwaukee Theatre where we saw The Lion King, the musical. Does your school put on a play or musical?

      @Barb,
      No, I have never actually blogged like this. I'm not on any social networks like Twitter or Facebook. Thanks so much for inviting me to participate.

      Your Grandma Barb from Wisconsin's friend,
      Carol

      Delete
    9. Dear Troy,

      On Veteran's Day, your Great Grandpa and I always attended the Veteran's day celebration put on by one of the local high schools. Each year the local high schools take turns hosting the event. All of the students attended this event to honor the Veteran's. Their high school band and choir played and sang the song associated with each branch of the military. While the song was playing, the Veteran's from that branch of the military were asked to stand up. Great Grandpa would stand up when they played the Navy song.

      They also had a guest speaker and the President of the Senior class was presented a new flag for the school by the Veteran's.

      When all of the speeches were over, the school hosted a dinner for the Veteran's and their guests served by the students.

      It gave the Veteran's a chance to visit with their fellow Veteran's while enjoying a good dinner.

      Do you know what the Navy song is?

      Warmly,
      Ruth (Troy's Great Grandma)

      Delete
    10. Dear Great-Grandma,

      Thank you for posting a comment on my class blog. I learned new things from your comment such as how your local high schools respect the veterans. You asked if I knew what the song was for the Navy is. I did not know so we looked it up. It liked hearing the song. It was very interesting to me.

      Your Great-Grandson,
      Tr★y

      Delete
  2. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am spending the week with my grandpa, he is staying with us, so I am lucky to be spending Veteran's Day with a veteran. He was in the Navy during WW2. He was third in command as a navigator on the USS Shaula. He was in the Pacific area. He has a bayonet from the war that my brother and I always like to see when we go to his house.
    To honor him, I made breakfast for him, my special spicy eggs.


    Does anyone else have family members who are veterans?

    Sincerely,
    Nicholas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Nicholas,

      How fortunate for you that you get to spend the week with your grandfather! Good luck all around!

      I bet he really felt special when you served him breakfast this morning. What a lovely gesture!

      You mentioned that your grandfather was a navigator for the USS Shaula. What is a navigator? Interview him while he stays with you. What are some skills that helped him succeed at his post. I Googled USS Shaula and saw a picture of his ship!

      Warmly,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
    2. Bettina (Nicholas' mom)December 5, 2014 at 10:36 AM

      Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

      I talked to my dad about how he became a navigator on the USS Shaula. After high school, he went to Midshipman's School at Columbia University. He did very well in his studies there. He did particularly well in spherical trigonometry. The older officer who was supposed to be the navigator on the ship was assigned to another ship, and the USS Shaula needed a navigator, so my dad became the navigator at age 20. (Apparently, the captain couldn't even navigate the ship.)

      The way he navigated is different from how they do it today. He used Celestial Navigation to navigate the ship. The three stars he used were the Deneb Star, Vega Star, and Altair Star. He had to use a sextant to achieve the altitude of the stars.

      How do they navigate ships today?

      Can anyone research the three stars and find out what they are called as a group?

      Sincerely,
      Bettina (Nicholas' mom)

      Delete
  3. Allie (Aryana's friend)November 11, 2014 at 11:05 AM

    Hi Mrs.Yollis,
    ♥I am really exited about Veterans Day. My grandpa was in the army. Grace was your former student two years ago and I am her sister, Allie. I am Aryana's friend. I did this comment from Aryana's house. Blogging is fun and Grace enjoyed it too. ♥


    Sincerely,
    Allie (Aryana's friend)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Allie, (Aryana's friend)

      Thanks for sharing about your grandfather's service to our country. Do know anything else about his time in the army? Ask your parents and come back and share!

      Say hi to Grace!

      Fondly,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
  4. Tom(Nicholas' Grandfather)November 11, 2014 at 1:16 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I'm Tom, Nicholas' Grandfather. I was a naval officer in WWII in the Pacific Theater. I wish to honor our armed forces, today's and in past wars who fought for freedom and our democratic way of life.

    I also wish to honor today's teachers throughout our country because education is our first line of defense. We need an enlightened electorate.

    Sincerely,
    Tom Lt.J.G. USN
    40 Years English Teacher
    (Nicholas' Grandfather)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Tom,

      Thank you for your service to our country. It is because of your brave service during WWII, that we live in a free country today.

      Have you been able to go on an Honor Flight to see the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.?

      My Dad was also in the Navy during WWII and was able to do that when he was in his 80's. He said it was a highlight of his life.

      With heartfelt thanks,
      Barb (Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin)

      Delete
    2. Beth (Derrick's Mom)November 11, 2014 at 6:06 PM

      Dear Tom,

      Thank you so much for your service to our country. Honoring our veterans is important to our family because we have had several family members who have served in every branch of the military in several different wars.

      As a third grade teacher, I want to thank you for acknowledgement of our profession.

      Sincerely,
      Beth (Derrick's Mom)

      Delete
    3. Dear Tom,

      Thank you for your service to our country. We all owe a debt of gratitude to you for the freedoms we enjoy today.

      I was in Washington, D.C. in October and got a chance to visit the National WWII Memorial. It is a beautiful monument that honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II. There was a wall of 4,048 gold stars, and I learned that each star represented 100 American military deaths, or over 400,000. Have you had an opportunity to visit the memorial?

      Thank you, too, for honoring teachers in your comment! Yes, education is the key to success!

      Respectfully,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
    4. Bettina (Nicholas' mom)December 5, 2014 at 10:53 AM

      Dear Barb, Beth and Mrs. Yollis,

      My dad was excited to read your posts and be a part of the blog. He had never heard of the Honor Flights, but I looked into it, and it sounds like an amazing opportunity. He said,"There aren't many of us left." I also saw that there is a documentary about the Honor Flights that I am going to rent. I hope my dad gets a chance to visit the WWII Memorial, I am going to try to make it happen.

      Sincerely,
      Bettina (Nicholas' Mom)

      Delete
  5. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    What a great opportunity not only to blog but to learn a bit about my family history.

    I learned that my maternal Grandfather (my Mother's Father) served in the Army in World War 2. He first trained in California where he learned to be a medic. A medic is responsible for providing first aid and trauma care for troops on the battlefield.

    While serving in the army, he traveled all across Europe, from Normandy to Germany, arriving on the Normandy beach only a few days after it was invaded.

    Unlike today, there were no computers, internet or cell phones. I am wondering if anyone can guess how he communicated with his family in America?

    Thanks to everyone for sharing these wonderful stories and to all the Veterans out there.

    Sincerely,

    Melissa (Nic's Mom)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Mrs Yollis and class,

    My Grandfather was in the army and served in Vietnam from 1962 - 1964. He was 22 years old when he went there. He helped repair helicopters that were shot down in the war. Specifically H-21s. He was stationed in Saigon.

    Sincerely,
    Nic

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Mrs. Yollis,
    Thank you for publishing a Veteran's Day post. Too often we think of November 11th as a fun day off, and forget about the real reason for the holiday.
    Secondly I would like to thank Nicholas' grandfather, Tom for his service and sharing his stories with his grandson. The value of history comes through oral storytelling, not chapters in boring history books.
    Thank you for including a link to the Bulldog Reader blog and the post about my father-in-law who served on the USS Pogy. He feels very respected or honored for his service because of the Honor Flights and people like you share his story.
    All my best to you and your class!
    From,
    Mrs. Hembree

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I have no family members that served the US army forces.
    I do have a brother who is a combat solider in Israel now.
    I admire him and I want him to be safe. I really miss him and I
    can't wait for him to finish service.

    Your blogging friend,
    Liron

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
    I come from a family with a lot of retired military. My Grandpa was a lawyer in the Army. My Pop Pop was a pilot in the Navy. He flew fighter jets. He went to an elite school called Top Gun for extra training flying F-14's. My Pops was a Captain on a destroyer which as you learned on the Brain Pop video is a ship in the Navy. I just wanted to say that I am very proud of my grandparents for all that they did in the military. Are you related to anyone in the military?
    Sincerely,
    Ella

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Ella,
      What an educational piece of information.
      Both my cousin,Kelly, and my uncle,Kevin, were in the military. I have seen some photos of my uncle Kevin in his military uniform and I think it looks pretty cool. It has camouflage designed to blend in. We thank those today who fought for our county.Thank you for fighting for us to have a safe place to live.

      Best Wishes,
      Sophia S. ( From Mrs. Broussard's classroom)

      Delete
  10. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    It is so wonderful to have a special day to honor our veterans! I am very thankful for these noble people who have served to protect our freedom.

    There are several veterans in my family. My dad served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in Shanghai, China. Mr. Ranney's father, sister, and brother-in-law were all three in the Navy.

    A very special veteran in the Ranney family is Mr. Ranney's grandfather, Paul H. Jarrett. He was a World War I U.S. Army lieutenant. Grandpa Jarrett served in the famous Rainbow Division and earned a Purple Heart medal after battling to save the French village of Neuviller les Badonviller in 1918.

    In 1989, he visited the village with one of his grandsons, who was interested in filming a documentary about his grandfather's military service. When the villagers found out who he was, they held a ceremony in his honor and named a street--Rue de Paul H. Jarrett--after him.

    In 1996, when Grandpa Jarrett was 100 years old, a special ceremony was held for him at the French Consulate in Westwood conducted by the acting French consul. Because the villagers had written to President Jacques Chirac, Jarrett received the Legion of Honor in the rank of chevalier, or knight. Only a few people receive the award each year and only rarely are foreigners honored. Mr. Ranney and I, along with many other family members, were able to attend. It was quite a night!

    Grandpa Jarrett was a very humble man and said that the award was really not for him, but for all the American soldiers who had served. He lived to be 102.

    An interesting fact about Grandpa Paul Jarrett is that he became the Postmaster of the Culver City Post Office, where Mrs. Ranney's mom worked for him before Mrs. Ranney was even born!

    I'm looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow!

    Regards,
    Mrs. Ranney

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Mrs. Yollis and friends,

    Today I honor our veterans for everything they have done for our country. Thank you to all of them.

    Sincerely,
    Noa

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gregg (Aryana's dad)November 11, 2014 at 5:37 PM

    Hello Mrs.Yollis,
    I am Aryana's father. I think it is important for all of us to take a moment out of our busy days to think about the men and women who served our country in the armed forces. Veterans Day is observed on November and coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day. Do you know what anniversary these holidays celebrate?
    ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

    From,
    ♦Gregg (Aryana's dad)♦

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I already knew a lot about the armed forces, but I learned that the Marines are always the first ones to go in during a war.

    Did you know that a red poppy is used as a symbol for Veteran's Day? My mom taught me that today. It started with a poem called "In Flanders Fields". Then two women decided to sell artificial poppies to raise money for disabled veterans and their families. The poppy then became the official memorial flower to represent United States veterans. So if you see someone selling or wearing a red poppy today, you'll know why.

    My family always takes time to honor our nation's veterans on Veteran's Day because we have a lot of family members who have served in the military.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Randi (Sydney's mom)November 11, 2014 at 6:14 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I just watched the brainpop video and found it very interesting. Sydney's maternal grandfather, my father was military police in the army based in Spain. While, my stepfather or as Sydney says, grandpa Jay was an officer in the Navy based on a ship out at sea. Both of them tell many stories to all the grandchildren in the family. It is so nice to learn from the older generations before us. I wonder if anyone in the class will be interested in joining the armed forces someday to serve our country. We all live in a wonderful and safe environment that might be protected at all times. So on this day, I must thank all the men and women who have served our great country.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beth (Derrick's Mom)November 11, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am so happy that you have chosen to do a blog on honoring our veterans. It is so important to remember those that are making ultimate sacrifices to serve and protect us.

    Our family has a long history of military service in every branch of the military. In fact, it was very exciting to learn that my cousin Stefanie discovered that we are part of the "Daughters of the American Revolution" as we had a family member that fought in the Revolutionary war! It is truly a unique group to be a part of.
    We also had family members fighting on both sides during the Civil War.

    Derrick's grandfathers served during World War II in the Army and the Coast Guard. My father was in the First Cavalry of the army and stationed in the Pacific and getting ready to storm Japan. His other grandfather was in the Atlantic searching for enemy submarines.

    Both of my uncles also served in WWII. My Uncle Chuck (who Derrick's middle name Charles comes from) flew planes. He started out in the army, because there was no air force at the time. Then they became the Army Air Corps, which eventually became The United States Air Force. He went on to serve during the Korean War, and Vietnam. Eventually, he was flying secret spy missions over Russia. He became a Lieutenant Colonel. My Uncle Ophir served in the Marines during World War II and Korea. He was actually shot during his tour in Korea, and kept fighting while he was wounded. My Uncle Chuck had to go over and bribe him to come down off the hill he was on to get him out of there. My Uncle Ophir lived with the bullet in his body for the rest of his life!

    In more current times, my nephew and Derrick's cousin Timothy served in the army. He was and Army Ranger. This is about the same level as a Navy SEAL. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    As well my cousin Keith and his wife Naomi serve in the army. they have been in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Keith and Naomi are both ranking officers. My cousin Keith (whose father Ken in the army during Vietnam) was just promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Naomi is a Major and now she works at the Pentagon to help find terrorists.

    I am so fortunate to have had so many outstanding veterans who have proudly served and protected the United States of America.

    Sincerely,
    Beth (Derrick's mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Beth and Derrick,

      Wow, you have a very rich history of military service in your family. I have seen genealogy shows in which people are very surprised to learn that they are part of the Daughters of the American Revolution. How wonderful that your relative was able to trace so many generations of your family. Have you ever visited any monuments or museums or landmarks that honor the Revolutionary War?

      Sincerely,
      Lisa (Troy's mom)

      Delete
    2. Beth (Derrick's Mom)November 12, 2014 at 6:35 PM

      Dear Lisa and Troy,

      Looking at what I wrote, I sure do have a family committed to military service. There are still other family members that I did not mention and David has several as well.

      I don't think that I have visited a specific American Revolution monument or museum. However, I have been to Arlington National Cemetery where some of the revolutionary soldiers are buried. I have also visited the Washington monument and his Washington's home on Mt. Vernon. As you know, George Washington was a general in the Revolutionary Army and became our first president.

      My cousin also has pictures of the grave sites and markers where our family members who fought in the Revolutionary War are buried.

      From,
      Beth (Derrick's mom)

      Delete
    3. Dear Beth,

      I am truly amazed by all of the information and photos that your family has collected. That is something that you can treasure and pass down to the next generations. When Derrick and others in his family learn about various events in history during their schooling, they might feel a special connection to these events because they will have the knowledge that their distant relatives participated in them.

      When I was younger, I very much enjoyed learning about the Colonial Era (the time of the Revolutionary War). When I was in middle school, my parents took me and my sisters to the nation's capital, and we visited Mt. Vernon as well. It became one of my favorite places. I can still recall being on the tour bus driving toward the destination with thick, green trees on both sides of the highway and walking around the grounds reading all of the historical information that I could find. Thank you for reminding me of this very enjoyable and educational travel that I did when I was younger.

      Sincerely,
      Lisa

      Delete
  16. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    It is so nice to read about all of the service members connected to the children in the class.

    We have a family friend named Don who was a Marine during the Gulf War. He was stationed on a boat in the gulf and his job was to rescue men and women who were captured. He was trained to jump out of a helicopter and find the captured person. Interestingly, no one in the U. S. military was captured during that war so he never had to use his training.

    Sincerely,
    Tara (Tabitha's mom)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Mrs.Yollis,
    I am Aryana's grandpa and I am a veteran of the U.S. army, and I was trained at the Brooke Army Medical Base as a medic. Fortunately, I never had to go into combat. I have enjoyed being with Aryana from the first day of her birth. She has been and continues to be a joy in my life.
    From,
    Dr. Melvin K.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,

    I have a little story about my grandpa. In 1969, my grandfather was in the Navy, he was a pilot in the Vietnam War. He had better than 20\20 vision, and could see things in flight before it showed up on radar. He flew a VF 21 F4 Phantom off of an aircraft carrier called the "Ranger". He also dropped bombs on Vietnam with the VF 21 F4 Phantom. in 1989, he retired as a Naval Captain.

    Still proud of my grandfather,
    Kate

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    I am Royce, Tabby's brother. I wish you all a Happy Veterans Day!

    At our school, I am participating in a Veterans Day project in which I go out and buy items that the troops overseas might find useful. Some items on the list include:

    Baby Wipes
    Q-tips
    Beef Jerky
    Socks
    Nuts/Trail-mix
    Candy
    Canned Tuna

    These are just some of the many items on the list. I also wrote a little letter to the troops, telling them thank you for defending our country. I am inspired by these veterans, who are risking their lives to keep us safe, to commit RAK Attacks, or Random Act of Kindness Attacks. They are just little nice things that you can do for people, such as do their chores or give them some of your Halloween candy. In honor of these veterans who are protecting our country, I wish you all a Happy Veterans Day!

    Sincerely,
    Royce

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I spent six years of my childhood in a war! It was devastating growing up not knowing if you would survive or if you would see your family and loved ones the next day or not! We had our radio on all day and as soon as we would hear the alarm, we had to go to a bomb shelter.

    Some nights my parents had to hold us in the middle of the night while we were sleeping and take us to a very small room built under the ground where we would feel safe.

    One Thursday morning when we just started school, a bomb hit very close to our neighborhood. It felt like a very strong earthquake. All the windows were shattered in our faces. It was that day that my parents decided to leave the country. I had to say goodby to my friends, family and all the people I loved and grew up with.

    We moved to Turkey and we called it our new home. My country was in a war for eight years and we lost hundreds of thousands of people.

    Hats off to all the people around the world who have fought for the freedom of their countries and the safety of their people.

    Warmly,
    Sara (Kiano's mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bettina (Nicholas' mom)November 17, 2014 at 7:40 PM

      Dear Sara,


      I can't imagine going through what you have gone through.

      My mom's country, Denmark, was occupied by Germany when she was a little girl during World War II. She passed away 7 years ago, but she told me so many stories of her life as a girl growing up in a war. She heard the bomb sirens all the time too, and remembered having to get back home as soon as she could when she heard them (...most likely she was riding her bike in the forest and had to pedal as fast as she could to get home).

      Her family saved a Danish Jewish family who stayed at their house during the war. My mom's whole family was involved in the Danish Underground who provided a safe passage for Danish Jewish Families to travel to Sweden.

      My mom always remembered the American servicemen who came to Denmark when the war ended. They brought delicacies such as oranges and chocolates, which she hadn't enjoyed for several years and they were incredibly delicious!

      Thank you to all our Veterans!!

      Warmly,
      Bettina (Nicholas' mom)

      Delete
  21. Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,

    Today I learned some interesting facts about army in the country my mom and dad were born.
    Most of the guys in my family had to serve in the army. It is mandatory that every male goes to a 2 year army training.If you decide not to go to college you have to sign up immediately after you graduate from high school. You are excused if you have any health problems or you are the only provider for your family.

    Sincerely,
    Kiano

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aunt Nancy (Ty's auntie)November 13, 2014 at 5:35 PM

    Hello Mrs. Yollis and class,
    It's wonderful how you have encouraged your students to connect with the Veterans during the holidays.
    Your blog works as a great reminder to the children and their family and friends to not forget to honor and pay tribute to Veterans around Veterans Day.
    Great ideas!
    Sincerely,
    Nancy Mah

    ReplyDelete
  23. James (Nicholas' dad)November 14, 2014 at 7:35 AM

    Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    My father Daniel proudly served during WWII in the Pacific.
    He was stationed on an aircraft carrier.
    As a boy I would love to hear his stories about the time he spent on that ship.

    Do you know who we fought in WWII in the Pacific?

    Sincerely,
    James (Nicholas' dad)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,


    I love veterans day,AND the veterans who fought in the war. I also love the soldiers that are still fighting for our country. Thank you veterans and soldiers who are in service. I greatly appreciate what you have done for us.

    Thank you soldiers,
    Kate

    ReplyDelete

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