R. H. Fulmer Middle School pays tribute to local Veterans

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Ahead of Veterans Day on November 11th, hundreds of R. H. Fulmer Middle School students in Lexington School District Two took part in its “Veterans Day Recognition and Remembrance Ceremony” — honoring local service members.

Fulmer’s Principal, Megan Carrero, says she’s been with the school since the event’s inception.

“A lot of them are parents, grandparents, of our current students and staff members. So that’s super important for us to know our community and all of the wonderful things they have done and continue to do,” Carrero says.

As part of the tribute, members of the eighth grade band played a medley of Armed Forces songs honoring each branch of the military, and original drawings were given to each Veteran in attendance by a Fulmer Middle School art student — proving that patriotism isn’t just for adults.

“Taking the opportunity to recognize, ‘Where do our freedoms come from?’ is so vitally important, and what are the things that have gone before us that bring us to today and where we are in giving kids an opportunity to attend school, to have free speech, to have all the opportunities that they’ll have even as grown ups. To me, that’s so vitally important to be able to connect that back to what came before these experiences that they currently have and will continue to have,” Carrero says.

Navy Veteran John Matthews, Jr. says he hopes the experience of the event sticks with the students as they get older.

“I think in their heart they realize the Veteran is the one who took care of business, basically, wherever it may be overseas. I was the Commander of an American Legion Post for 27 years. You see a Veteran, whether it be Lowe’s or Walmart or whatever, you know that he’s grateful for whatever he did,” says Matthews.

And maybe some of the students, Matthews says, will consider joining the military right out of high school — like he did back in 1966.

“There’s a lot more out there than just college. There’s trades out there you can learn while you’re in the service somewhere. That is a great opportunity right there. Look at the Navy. Look at the Air Force. Look at the Marines. It’s not just military, its actually a way to learn a trade and give back to your community,” Matthews says.