Kearney students visit Wounded Warriors

Representatives from the community came out to Bishop Kearney High School on Thursday, April 11 to give them an extraordinary send-off to Washington, D.C. where students will visit Wounded Warriors.

This is the sixth year that Kearney has been involved with the Wounded Warrior Project and the students’ fourth year traveling to D.C.

The Kearney band welcomed attendees, playing the “theme” song for each branch of service. Kearney family members who are veterans and currently serving were also recognized, including Assistant Athletic Director Gina Marshall’s husband, who is an active member of the U.S. Navy.

Colonel Eluyn Gines, garrison commander of the Fort Hamilton Army Base, praised the students.

Often when we are on the battlefield we think, ‘Do people care?’ When I see things like this, I know people care. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he said.

Councilmember Vincent Gentile was also present. You have shown appreciation for veterans. That is not always the case in our society. You need to stand up for them,” he said.

Gentile then spoke about the CBS show “Amazing Race,” which ran a segment recently on which the contestants were sent to North Vietnam to a spot where a U.S. B-52 bomber had been shot down in the Vietnam War. He said that some of the U.S. servicemen on the plane died and others were taken as prisoners of war.

Gentile said the bomber became a shrine, a monument to the Communist effort in the war. He said that the people on the show were taught some of the Communist songs that were sung by the children.

[It’s an] absolute disgrace…an outrage,” Gentile said. “But you [students] understand.”

State Senator Marty Golden concurred. You are doing something great for our nation today. . . you will see others who gave themselves to this nation,” he said. “Some who lost an arm, or leg, or more. Speaking about his experience visiting the wounded soldiers in the past, he said he was amazed that these men and women were individuals who gave themselves and still all they wanted was to go back to the battlefield.