Message from Principal
Shelly Camp
Dear Altar Valley Middle School Community,
November is a busy month at Altar Valley Middle School - one of our highlights every year is our celebration of Veterans! This year we were able to honor our Veterans with lunch and conversation with our students. National Junior Honor Society and Student Government 7th and 8th graders greeted our honorees, escorted them to the cafeteria and joined them for lunch. It is events like this that make me proud to be the principal at AVMS! In addition, our 8th grade students attended a presentation by Karl Allen and Ray Groves to learn about their experiences in the military. Several of our students wrote about the experience. Seeing the presentation from their perspective provides insight from a middle school student's perspective.
Sincerely,
Shelly Camp
Altar Valley Middle School
Principal
EIGHTH GRADE
Mr. Groves talked to our district about the Battle of Peleliu, which was one of the bloodiest battles that had been fought in WW2. He spoke about how he had seen a 15 Gallon tank and it was much smaller than he had expected, he had lost 60% of his comrades in battle, Mr. Groves was a very brave man, he braved through the battle, fought and served for his country, and made sure he had done his duty as a 1st division Marine soldier.
During this time, The USA had threatened to bomb the Panama canal, which was the home of Mr. Allen, There were certain procedures that Mr. Allen had to follow to survive. When they set off the alarm, the students had to go underneath their desks, then use their hands to cover their heads, which would keep them from getting head injuries and brace for the impact of a bomb. They also had an eraser in their mouth, this would break open an airway for the students, so that if the bomb had hit, they would be able to escape the school ruins and find shelter. This happened to K-12 students, meaning even children as young as 6 years old had to face the effects of this war.
We thank our veterans for everything that they have done for our country. Mr. Allen, and Mr. Groves are both great men, and we loved listening to their stories about the war. We learned that later in life we can do courageous things, and also serve our country. AVMS is beyond thankful to have our soldiers come to our school, and speak about their experiences.
-B.P.
Mr. Karl Allen, served in the US Army, and shared experiences of growing up during WW2. He explained that he would have to practice drills for bombing in Elementary school; they would go under the desk, get in a fetal position , hands over head , eraser in the mouth which was a way for them not to suffocate. This was called ‘duck and cover ‘ in case a bombing ever did happen.
One of the stories that Mr. Ray Groves told us stuck with me because he wanted to voluntarily serve his country and his folks wouldn’t let him until he was 18 years old. Mr. Ray Groves was sent to a boot camp in San Diego, where “They break you down to build you up” and then was sent overseas to the Battle of Peleliu in the Pacific. He remembers a tank passing by him and shooting. After this battle they were removed from the island to a camp and the Marine Corps acted like nothing had just happened, work as usual.
Thank you to all the Veterans, especially Mr. Ray Groves for being able to speak and share his experiences of serving with the First Marine Division in the Battle of Peleliu. We are all beyond thankful towards him! All the students loved this opportunity of being able to listen to his experiences.
-Areliana C.
Do you think playing with the odds is safe? No, not at all! Especially on the frontlines of war. We heard so from an experienced Marine Veteran, Corporal Ray Groves of the 1st Marine Division. Corporal Groves served in the Battle of Peleliu during WWII and came to speak to our 8th grade class Tuesday.
Hearing about war from a veteran purely meant something, something more than war. A man with strong encouragement and a fierce soul. Not to mention, what I learned from both men weren’t fake stories, but pure. Some details I learned from Corporal Groves, and Captain Karl Allen of the US Army were that in the Battle of Peleliu over 60% of the men didn’t make it. Mr. Groves was only 18 years old when he joined the Marines, pretty young in my opinion. To sum it up: Be grateful, as I heard what war was like over the Pacific, that he made it out alive, as well as other survivors.
Love and respect our veterans as we give thanks to all US Veterans. Thank you for your service Vets!!!
-Jeremiah C