Students showed great respect for veterans

The principal and Social Studies teachers of the Marlboro Middle School are to be congratulated upon their enthusiastic and effective teachings of American and world history during this last Memorial Day period.

To show their appreciation for the sacrifices of the Americans killed in all wars in order to protect our nation’s freedom and liberty, the middle school invited World War II members of the Jewish War Veterans Manalapan-Marlboro Post 972 to be present as living history guests in each of the 12 Social Studies classes of the middle school during their Memorial Day and World War II teaching agenda.

This year, the post’s World War II veterans were present who served in both the European and Pacific theaters, and proudly wore their combat decorations for exceptional bravery in battle, which included the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, as well as the Purple Heart for wounds.

During their class visits as members of our nation’s oldest active veterans organization, the World War II veterans explained the immediate post-Civil War history and meaning of Decoration Day, now called Memorial Day. They answered the many questions by the students and teachers, including questions about their own combat experiences.

They captured the interest of the students with their demonstrations of the actual infantry rifles and handguns used in World War II that they brought with them and answered questions about the significance of the military ribbons they were wearing.

The middle school and its administrators are to be congratulated upon its very enthusiastic, patriotic teaching staff and their excellent teaching preparations with classrooms decorated with World War II posters, military insignia, wartime maps, etc. In every class there was warm, respectful appreciation from the students for our nation’s military veterans who were their guests.

It is strongly recommended that all the local veterans posts, from all the various national veterans organizations, volunteer every year to participate in living history programs in the schools of New Jersey during the Memorial Day and Veterans Day periods.

Julian Batlan

Manalapan