OLD BRIDGE – In recognition of the service and commitment of the United States military, Memorial Elementary School held its third Interactive Military Day.
The day included students in grades K-5 visiting various military stations, located on the school property, on May 23.
According to Memorial Principal Raymond Payton, the students and staff wanted to honor the dedication, commitment and service of military personnel and to enhance the students’ sense of citizenship and patriotism, according to information provided by the school district.
For Interactive Military Day, retired Colonel Vito DiMicco from the United States Air Force returned to Memorial, bringing with him official Air Force heavy equipment and 30 military personnel to conduct the presentation to the student body. DiMicco is the father of fourth-grade teacher Jerilyn Conover.
The military personnel, who represented Joint Base McGuire-Fort Dix in Lakehurst, set up four interactive stations for the students to experience what it is like to work in the Armed Forces. The stations included civil engineering vehicles, a Humvee, an LMTV (Light Medium Tactile Vehicle), and air flight equipment. There also was an air support presentation.
Students had the opportunity to climb into the LMTV and Humvee to see how the trucks operates. A pilot and boom station was set up inside the gym, where a boom operator shared his experience, using a laptop and projector. He discussed how a mid-air fuel transfer is accomplished. The Air Flight Equipment station included a 20-person raft with life vests for the children to try on.
Prior to attending the interactive stations, a school-wide assembly was held, where DiMicco and the Air Force personnel presented Memorial students – two from each class — with certificates of citizenship, recognizing outstanding citizenship exhibited in the classroom and in school.
“The students and staff at Memorial School are grateful for all the hard work and effort that retired Colonel DiMicco and the Air Force personnel from Fort Dix put into creating exciting and hands-on stations,” Payton said in the statement. “Thank you for a wonderful Military Day and a special thank you for your service and dedication to our country.”