On this Veterans Day, we at Bishop O'Connell take the time to thank all the veterans who have so unselfishly served our country. Our faculty and staff wear Buddy Poppies as a reminder to thank and pray for all veterans, especially our administrators, faculty and staff who have served our country with honor and courage.
This morning our school assembly was devoted to honoring our veterans. Special guest speaker for the gathering was U.S. Army Col. Fern O. Sumpter (ret.), who most recently served as Joint Base Commander of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Her career began as an enlisted Soldier in the Army Reserve, before entering onto active duty as a commissioned officer assigned to a Signal Battalion in Germany. She served in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and later was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom, where she served on the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command staff in Afghanistan.
To begin her presentation, Col. Sumpter took a moment to recognize all the O'Connell students in the audience who are children of military parents. She thanked them for the special way that they serve, especially when times can be difficult because of their parents' absences. She continued by reflecting on her career in the U.S. Army, in a presentation she called "Answering the Call," where she shared how her personal values of Faith, family, honesty, discipline, helping others and wisdom played a central role in her career in the military.
Col. Sumpter closed her remarks by asking the assembled students to honor veterans by doing well in school, acting on their calling, working in their community and growing in their Faith.
The school also used the opportunity at the assembly to recognize and show appreciation to members of its staff who have served in the Armed Forces:
Michael Bernhard (Math Chair) – U.S. Navy
Reno Cassidy (Math Teacher) – U.S. Army
James Ewings (Football Coach) – U.S. Marine Corps
Joseph Giaquinto (Softball Coach) – U.S. Navy
Paul Gerton (Science/Engineering Teacher) – U.S. Army
Tom Glynn (Science Chair) – U.S. Coast Guard
Quinn Hollomon (Tennis Coach) – U.S. Navy
Mary Quinn (Field Hockey Coach) – U.S. Army
Don Rooney (Social Studies Teacher) - U.S. Army
Joseph Vorbach (Head of School) – U.S. Coast Guard
The O’Connell jazz band provided music as the community gathered, and then returned later in the assembly to perform a medley of songs from the armed forces, including The Air Force Song (Air Force), The Army Goes Rolling Along (Army), Semper Paratus (Coast Guard), The Marine’s Hymn (Marine Corps) and Anchors Aweigh (Navy). As is the tradition at most school gatherings, the O’Connell Singers opened the assembly with an a cappella rendition of the National Anthem.
May God bless our veterans!