Veterans urge Grifton students not to take holiday for granted

A group of veterans in the east who served in wars of the past and present met with students in Grifton urging them not to take tomorrow’s day off from school for granted.

A panel of veterans from World War 2, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, spoke to a packed auditorium at Grifton Elementary School this morning.
   
The panel took dozens of questions and gave a brief history lesson on the wars and experiences each veteran faced in battle.
   
But the biggest lesson was the importance of service.

“Whether you leave a school or you leave your family to go out on your own, or you leave a particular job—-what remains is your reputation—what people remember about you. It’s your legacy,“ said Lt. Colonel James Van Riper.

By the way, Riper, today’s keynote speaker, is the father of Grifton Elementary principal Ronda Sortino.