On Nov. 8, Lexington High School hosted its annual Veterans Day Panel. The panel, which was held in the IDLC during I-Block, consisted of speakers who served in the United States Military: Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Jackan, Sergeant Matthew Sacco, and 1st Lieutenant Phil St. Marie. The panelists, representing various branches of the military and different times of service, had the opportunity to share their experiences and answer student questions.
The panel, which has been held since 2018, is organized by the Town Celebrations Committee and the Lexington Veterans Association (LVA) Executive Committee. The idea originated from Lexington’s annual Veterans Day Breakfast, during which essays written by LHS students are read out as part of an essay contest organized by the Town Celebrations Committee in collaboration with Michael Egbert, a LHS Social Studies teacher. However, though winners would come and speak, the hosted breakfast did not attract many students.
“The Veterans Day ceremony in town wasn’t necessarily going to reach a large number of students. So the idea was if there was a way that we could bring some veterans to the high school,” Egbert said.
For the panel, veterans are contacted by Lieutenant Colonel Linda Dixon, the chair of the LVA Executive Committee and a member of the Town Celebrations Committee.
“[The Veterans Association] provides people who go on the panel and the Town Celebration Committee organizes it. So it’s a joint effort,” Dixon said.
Dixon, who served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard for 20 years, further explained the goal of the panel for students.
“[I want students to] say, ‘I talked to a veteran and now I think I have a greater understanding of what people are talking about when they say veterans deserve our respect,’” Dixon said.
Lt. Col Bruce Jackan, a panelist who served in the Army for 21 years, also spoke about the importance of understanding veterans’ experiences.
“We’re just not that different from the rest of the population. At the end of the day, you’re trying to serve the country in some way.” Jackan said.
This issue has a special significance for LHS students: Greg Vredenburgh, LHS US History teacher and 1st Lieutenant Massachusetts Army National Guard, was deployed to the Middle East this spring. Vredenburgh is due to return in December and resume teaching in January.
Hailey Kim, a junior at LHS who attended the panel, spoke about its impact.
“Hearing the stories of veterans teaches us empathy and respect for those who dedicate their lives to protecting others,” Kim said.
Beyond educating LHS students of the importance of our military, this event has also helped the panel’s veterans gain a better grasp of what Veterans Day stands for.
“I took [Veterans Day] for granted when I was serving and I wore a uniform [but now] I’ve realized that it really is important that people in the country recognize the military. Veterans Day has become that opportunity when we can recognize that service to the country is very important and there’s a variety of ways to do it,” Jackan said.
