Students, Staff Honor Veterans With Ceremony, Flag Raising at Seward

Students at the S.S. Seward Institute took part in a special ceremony and a flag raising earlier this week to honor local veterans.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, students gathered in the school’s gym to take part in a ceremony honoring four local veterans from Florida and Warwick. The event was organized by JROTC Special Instructor Sgt. Michael Washington and his team of student cadets.

Before the event, JROTC cadet and Seward freshman Riley Maesano said he was “looking forward to everyone coming together and appreciating veterans.” 

The event began with a presentation of the flags from the color guard with the school choir, led by Mark Visconti, singing the national anthem.

Students then heard remarks from Principal Michael Maesano, Washington, cadet Eva Durand, and Vietnam War veterans Tom Fuller and Bob Scott.

Durand called on her fellow students “to lead, to learn, and to serve,” and to learn from the example of the veterans present at the ceremony. “The freedom we enjoy did not come without a cost,” she reminded the students.

She also urged them to become leaders and people of character. “It's cool to be cool, but what does that mean?” she said. “It's cool to lead instead of to follow, and to do the right thing, even when it's not the most popular thing.” 

Scott and Fuller shared their memories of wartime service and advice for the students.

Scott said he “learned a lot about [himself]” by serving in Vietnam, where he worked as a medic for about 140 patients at a time. 

He added that he was “proud to be from Florida, it’s a wonderful community” and said that “community starts right here,” pointing at the groups of students.

Fuller is a 1966 Seward graduate and a 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame honoree. He joined the Army soon after graduation and did three tours of duty in Vietnam.

Fuller said he appreciated the Seward community for “putting this [event] on for us,” and thanked the JROTC members for their help placing American flags on the graves at the Orange County Veterans Memorial Cemetery this past weekend. Together with students from the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, Seward’s JROTC cadets placed over 4,000 flags at the cemetery.

After the ceremony, the veterans were escorted outdoors to participate in a flag raising in front of the school building. With help from a JROTC cadet, Fuller raised the flag to the top of the pole. Attendees put their hands over their hearts in salute during a brief moment of silence after the flag was raised. 

Maesano said the flag raising was a time-honored tradition at Seward. 

“We have a rich history of honoring those who have served,” he said. “Those who have dedicated their time, energy, resources, and skills to making our country a better place. We also deeply value and respect those who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving and defending our nation at home and abroad.”

Washington said he hoped his JROTC cadets learned about honor from the day’s events.

“These veterans paved the way,” he said. “We honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, honor their cause, and honor their sacrifice.”