Veterans Day Celebration Honors Alumni Who Served

On Thursday, November 10, student council president Nick Watts `23 led a celebration for the school community to honor our veterans. 

"Veterans Day is one of the most important days of the year," said Watts. "It's important that we take a moment and recognize all those who served our country. We should be proud of these American heroes."  

The celebration recognized the six Country Day alumni who served and lost their lives - Jordy Alsfelder `08, Francis Baldwin `38, William Goodall III `39, Peter Greene `33, Robert Pogue `43, and Derrick Vail `40. Tom Langlois `77, a US Navy veteran, delivered a few remarks about his time serving in the Persian Gulf and Australia throughout the 1980s.  

"I was a history major, but when I got to the Navy, they put me in an engineering role," said Langlois. "Because I had my Country Day education, I knew how to be a lifelong learner and teach myself new things. I taught myself the engineering skills I needed to do my job on the USS Brooke."  

Veterans in attendance were also recognized during the ceremony with a medley of service branch anthems. The Upper School choir performed "Song for the Unsung Hero," and the seventh grade choir performed "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)." 

"I'm grateful for my time in the Navy. I got to see the world, but I also learned so much from my crew members. They taught me such a sense of purpose. We all knew we had to do our jobs well because our lives depended on each other," said Langlois. "Each of us – every individual – has strengths and weaknesses, and we have to harness those strengths to work together for a common goal. These are the skills that you learn at Country Day, on your teams, in your arts performances, in your clubs, and your classrooms. These are the skills that make you a better person."