November 14, 2008

Celebrating Veterans Day

Students around the country pay tribute to troops and their families

by Claudia Atticot

On Tuesday, November 11, students around the country will take time out of their regular school schedule to learn about the history of Veterans Day and to show their appreciation for military families. The national project, called Operation Caring Classroom, is run by the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF).

MATTHEW BERRY A fourth grade student from the McLean School of Maryland writes a letter of thanks to a soldier.

The AFF helps military families by providing them with free lunches and other resources. They launched Operation Caring Classroom in 2005. The program connects students attending non-military schools with their peers in military schools. Civilian students learn about the importance of Veterans Day and provide support to students whose parents are serving in the military.

Joining Forces

Patricia Driscoll, the president of the AFF, started Operation Caring Classroom in Washington, DC, after she saw that many civilian kids didn't have a good understanding of the military. "When we talked to the kids, we realized that they thought (soldiers) just blow things up and there is nothing but war all the time," Driscoll told TFK. "I wanted to teach them about what the military does on a daily basis and get them involved in volunteering to help military families."

The festivities kick off today at the University of Miami, in Florida, and continue until November 14. The AFF hopes to draw more than 50,000 students into the program. "We hope that Operation Caring Classroom inspires kids to volunteer to support the military families in their communities," says Driscoll. "If you have an opportunity to put a package together for the troops, don't forget the kids. You can be a secret Santa or send a letter or buy a toy. They'll really appreciate it."

A Valuable Lesson

November 11 became a national holiday in the U.S. in 1938. It was originally known as Armistice Day, the day that marked the end to World War I. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day in 1919. The name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to include soldiers who died in all U.S. wars.

For the third year in a row, kids participating in Operation Caring Classroom will receive free activity kits to write letters, draw pictures and create strength chains containing inspirational messages for the troops during the week of Veterans Day.

The program started with 30 schools and has since grown to 100 schools. Thousands of students around the country participate each year. "Now, we have an exchange program where we get the military kids talking to the civilian kids about what life is like in a military family," says Driscoll.

This week, kids at all the schools—fifty military and fifty non-military—will take part in essay and coloring competitions. The winners get free lunch for the whole class. The AFF then chooses four national winners. The prizes include a laptop, a $500 savings bond and a chance to be featured in Super Chevy Magazine.

Go to armedforcesfoundation.org to get your school involved in Operation Caring Classroom.

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