DURYEA, Pa. — The grandest gesture of gratitude from our community's smallest members was given to Luzerne County veterans. Students at Holy Rosary Elementary in Duryea celebrated our veterans this Friday.
After hearing from veterans, students gifted handmade cards with written words of thanks.
"I'm really happy that we could all celebrate together and celebrate that these people risked their lives and gave up their lives for us and our families," said Covington Lehman, an 8th-grade student.
For Vietnam veterans like Joe Hannon, it's a show of support beyond compare.
"When I came back in 1970, I wasn't old enough to drink legally, and I wasn't old enough to vote. So, to come to something like this, I brought two handkerchiefs with me. This means so much to me," said Hannon.
For other vets like Barney Mcdonald, his thank-you is extra special as his granddaughter, Lily, was front and center.
"It's a different generation now, and to see the kids come out and respect the veterans and do programs like this, it just gives me a great sense of joy."
It is instilling in students a lesson that can't be learned from a book and giving a thank you that is, for some, long overdue.
"There was nobody there who would say, 'Welcome home, thank you for your service.' There was no service then. We were not being honored by any means. To me, this is the ultimate honor," said Hannon.