The 21 gun salute, taps, and the folding of the flag. These are symbols used by the military to salute their fallen soldiers.
They were present at the assembly on Monday to honor and recognize the fallen heroes that walked the same halls that current PV students walk now. Among these pieces of recognition was something that alluded students for over a week: black curtains near the commons. But why all the attention now?
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, which signifies the peace treaty that was signed to end World War I; the treaty once thought to end all wars. It was declared that on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 that all hostilities would end.
Unfortunately history did not pan out to have WW I remembered as the last war. Instead, 21 brief years later another gruesome war began: World War II. This is why the name of Armistice Day was changed to Veterans day nine years after the end of WWII. It now honors the fallen and those who remain to protect and serve.
In light of this, last spring Enrique “Quique” Riojas Berazaluce collaborated with Principal Mike Zimmer to pay homage to the usually quiet holiday.This resulted in a speech from Zimmer to recognize the fallen.
Mr. Zimmer talked in the assembly briefly about Quique’s involvement in the assembly, but in an interview he shed more light on the situation. “It started with Quique, he came to me in the spring,” he said. Zimmer went on later, talking about how passionate Quique was. “He started coming up with this litany of ideas and I’m thinking to myself, this guy is really into this,” Zimmer stated.
The curtains came down after the assembly on Monday when Zimmer presented the Veterans Memorial Wall to the families of the three soldiers that lost their lives in Vietnam: Private First Class Jimmie Lee Foster, Corporal. Vernon Chester Randolph, and Sergeant. Patrick Loyal Fricke. Berazaluce talked about the memorial and its importance to the school. “It’s an invitation for people to look back. We are simply highlighting [our history]. It is a piece of history that we can keep with us.”
The Pleasant Valley Veterans Memorial Wall was unveiled during a special ceremony honoring the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on November 11, 2018. Located off the student commons, the one-of-a-kind display was designed to pay homage to Pleasant Valley alumni, living and deceased, who served in any of the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The wall features a photo of Robert “Bob” Brockhouse taken by PV alumnus, Tony Showers. Brockhouse, a veteran and member of the Buffalo Bill Post 347, was photographed raising the American flag at a PV home football game, a seasonal tradition. At the wall’s top left, the plaques of Pleasant Valley’s three fallen alumni are respectfully displayed.
This interactive kiosk was the final component to this memorial wall. Here, visitors can view all PV alumni who have served in the military or are currently serving in the military, and well as current students who have enlisted in the military following their graduation.
Zimmer introduced the idea for the redesigned wall with interactive kiosk after visiting his alma mater. With the many renovations and additions to PVHS in 2018 and 2019, Zimmer wanted the memorial wall to be attractive and meaningful. “I was looking for an interactive screen experience that would draw the visitor towards the display,” he said.
