Penns Valley honors vets with assembly, luncheon

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the seventh- and eighth-grade classes of Penns Valley High School gathered in the school auditorium to honor military service veterans, past and present.

About a dozen local veterans were guests at the assembly, which was opened by high school principal Dustin Dalton. Local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts troops presented the colors, placing the American and Pennsylvania state flags on the stage. The national anthem was sung by the Penns Valley High School choir, then several poems following the theme “America is …” were read by eighth-grade students who had composed them.

The first guest speaker of the day was Polly Nicosia, who has served in the U.S. Army nurse corps. She worked at a hospital in Fort Bragg, N.C., where she administered care to army veterans and their families. After moving to Pennsylvania she joined the Army Reserve, and is currently a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

“Being a member of the military make you a very special person,” said Nicosia. “Only 1 percent of the population of the United States served in the military.” She noted the many educational opportunities offered by the military, including their academies and ROTC scholarship programs.

U.S. Air Force veteran Ken Royer was next to address the student audience. Royer served as a navigator in a B-52 bomber for 20 years, some during the Vietnam War era. He told of a harrowing experience in Vietnam when his plane was being attacked by an enemy missile, and had to take evasive action.

“He did things with that airplane that I didn’t think were possible — diving and turning and exceeding some of the limits of it,” he said, referring to the bomber pilot, a cross-trained ex-fighter pilot. “We escaped from it, but we heard the shrapnel going off above us and hitting the airplane.”

Royer’s son, Dennis Royer, spoke next. He was enrolled for two years in the Navy ROTC program at Penn State University, then changed to the Air Force ROTC program. He was assigned to the missile program in 1979. After the cold war wound down about 10 years later, he served in the Air Force Search and Rescue unit, which helped locate missing people, downed pilots and aircraft.

Penns Valley teacher Andy Landis presented a slide show of photos taken during his 2007-08 deployment in Afghanistan. He displayed an American flag that had been flown over his base in Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2008 — the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack. His slide show contained many photos of Afghan civilians and their interactions with military personnel.

Also on stage for the assembly were Penns Valley High School students Connor Dix and Terrin Rowles, who have already enlisted in the U.S. Army. Landis thanked the enlistees for their choice to serve their country.

The assembly concluded with the retirement of the colors and the playing of taps.

On Nov. 14, a “Champions of Freedom” appreciation luncheon was held at Mountain View Country Club. About 30 people attended the event, sponsored by Mark Heintzelman, owner of Mark D. Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Services in Centre Hall. Attendees included veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

The speaker for this event was Pastor Dave Downer of Trinity United Church of Christ in Centre Hall. Downer served in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1998, then worked for U.S. intelligence units before becoming an ordained minister.

Downer shared a letter published in a French newspaper, written by a French soldier serving alongside an American Army unit. “They are impressive warriors,” the letter began. “We have not come across bad ones, as strange as it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be.”

The soldier also praised the Americans’ values and motivations. “Pride in their country and their flag and a deep commitment and loyalty to our brothers and sisters in arms — a loyalty so deep that each person will willingly sacrifice their very life to protect the integrity of their team, and to accomplish the mission set before them.”

“Friends, I am very proud to be considered a part of this team,” said Downer.

Downer then recited the oath of allegiance he took as an Air Force member. “We are men and women of service to our country, but also to our community, to our families, and to people who have learned they can trust us and rely on us to uphold what I call our shared American values.’