Seaford Scholars Meet the Heroes who Fought for Freedom

There was no loss for words for 20 Seaford High School juniors and seniors who accompanied World War II veterans to the National WWII Museum as part of the Soaring Valor trip from Aug. 20-23. After spending four days doing a lot of listening, they were eager to talk about this rare and treasured experience.  

“I knew going into the trip that it was going be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” senior Jayne Singleton said.  

The trip was sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation, and students have been invited to be a part of the Soaring Valor trips since 2017. Seaford students arrived at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport on the evening of Aug. 20 to meet the 14 veterans they would be traveling with to New Orleans. The following day, they boarded an American Airlines plane to Louisiana, but not before being serenaded by NYPD bagpipers and a West Point cadet singing the national anthem. On Aug. 22, they accompanied the veterans during a full-day tour of the museum.  

“Even with that, it wasn’t enough time,” senior Anthony Fernandez said. “The museum brought out so many emotions and stories that weren’t even talked about before.” 

Each veteran was also accompanied by a guardian, in most cases a close relative. Anthony noted that many of those guardians were hearing certain war stories for the first time as the museum’s exhibits and displays sparked memories. 

“I learned so many new things, like how emotionally hard it can be to be away from family,” junior Paige Gregorek said.  

The museum has different rooms for specific battles from Europe and the Pacific. Each group, which included a veteran, guardian and one or two Seaford students, also had their own tour guide.  

Senior Ava Caruso said that when walking with her veteran through the museum, he shared stories about being a pilot in the Marines after seeing the planes. Junior Matthew Kind learned how the veteran he was paired with worked for Grumman after the war.  

Olivia Anzelone added that the entire experience really personalized lessons from history classes, because “the veterans told you stuff you don’t learn in textbooks.” 

There were so many memories that will forever stand out, like when the Victory Belles greeted the veterans upon arrival in New Orleans. A 4D movie was an eye-opening insight into the experiences of each branch of the military. There was the moment when, during one of the meals, a group of students went to sit with one of the veterans on his birthday and ending up talking to him for an hour-and-a-half. The plane ride back to New York featured a mail call, in which the letters that Seaford students wrote to the veterans were given out.  

“It was really great to let them know that they’re appreciated,” Megan Reder said.  

Students were accompanied on the trip by eight chaperones – Superintendent Dr. Adele Pecora, Principal Nicole Schnabel, Assistant Principal Alex Mantay and five teachers. Michael Sheedy, a social studies teacher, said that learning history in class pales in comparison to hearing a story from someone who lived it. 

“It really brings everything to life for them and humanizes the situation,” he said. “You see the full spectrum of emotions that are involved in war.” 

The veterans ranged from 94 to 103 years old. Science teacher Keri Degnan noted that when they went to war, they weren’t much older than Seaford’s juniors and seniors are now. She was truly impressed by how students conducted themselves throughout the trip. 

“They made Seaford really proud,” she said. “They embraced the veterans and they were so respectful.” 

When the trip ended, both the students and the veterans found it difficult to say goodbye, but they have stayed in touch since. The students noted that the veterans were very humble, and were very interested in learning about the teens’ interests, goals and dreams.  

“They don’t see themselves as heroes,” Jayne said, “but we definitely do.”