Veterans Day

On Wednesday , November 12th , Dr. Fiddler hosted a WIN block dedicated to honoring Veterans’ Day and the staff who have served in the military.  Many teachers and students packed the lecture hall to hear the stories from teachers, the resource officer and even the superintendent, Mr. Gegerda. Each teacher had a different reason for joining the military, but all of them agreed that the military was a “transformative” experience. 

Mr. Giguere was the first speaker. He joined the US Marine Corps right out of high school.  He came from a family of veterans and had already had an interest in the military.  According to him, “I already went through the application process and was accepted into Westfield State” but he took advantage of Westfield’s Joint Service Transcript (JST), a military program that allows students to serve in the army and then pick up on their education after they finish their service. He said the military was great and appreciated serving something “greater than yourself” and he was “blessed to serve some of the opportunities given”.

Dr Fidler wanted to serve in the Coast Guard as a marine science technician, but ended up doing counter-terrorism. According to him, “We worked under the drug interdiction and were working on counter-terrorism.” He “chose the Coast Guard due to his passion for maritime missions and oceanic services” 

Mr. Terra-Thomas spoke after them. Mr.T originally wanted to be a Radio DJ, but joined the  National Guard a year after college. He served in Rhode Island and originally  “wanted to do psyops” but ended up in other services. He joined for college money, but he said the military allowed him to do things “he didn’t think he could physically do”, continuing the transformative theme throughout the speeches. 

Mr. Kelly was the last teacher to speak. He originally wanted to be a part of law enforcement, but joined the US Military due to the fact that he could travel and get his degree. He enlisted in the summer of his senior year and was sent to Germany, where he was able to see “both sides of the German government”, the communist and democratic. According to him, “Being in Germany and being able to travel around the country and Europe at 18 and 19 years old was transformative”. 

The WIN block served as a great opportunity for kids to see the benefit of joining the military. It helps with college money and scholarships, allows you to travel around the globe, and allows you to gain physical and combative experience, improving your mental and physical endurance. The Military also serves as a great background for certain work fields, especially Politics. Overall, the Military can be a great option for someone looking for something different than just four years at college.