Vietnam veteran Lieutenant Lawrence Connors shared military garb, photographs, maps and letters during his Garden City Middle School presentation about serving in the Vietnam War. Respect and Remember Our Veterans was the theme for the interdisciplinary assembly that recently took place at the Garden City Middle School. Team cohorts, Elaine Feerick and Alison Vitucci, along with their teammates, worked with music teacher and Band Director, Martha Boonshaft, to create an assembly that enriched the students' understanding of the Vietnam War and, at the same time, honored Vietnam veterans.

To open the program, Mrs. Boonshaft led the band in the Star Spangled Banner. The band then performed Black Granite III, a difficult piece that the band practiced tirelessly for this special assembly. While the band played, a PowerPoint presentation, which included pictures of relatives of the band, team, and faculty members who are/were veterans, was displayed on the auditorium's screen.

Mr. Lawrence Connors, a Vietnam veteran who served with the 1st Calvary Division, volunteered his time to come to the school and speak with the students. After talking about his experiences in Vietnam and the home front when he returned, he answered student questions. Also present and honored at the assembly was the Middle School's very own Mr. Nick Mascitti, a Vietnam veteran and the recipient of several military medals, including three Purple Hearts.

After Lieutenant Connors' assembly, eighth grade students from Garden City Middle School traveled to Eisenhower Park's Vietnam Memorial to pay tribute to those who served in the conflict. After the assembly, the students traveled to Eisenhower Park where they explored the memorial section. They read poetry and letters written by military personnel in the Vietnam War in front of the Vietnam Memorial. Students returned to the middle school with a deeper understanding of the materials they were reading in the classroom, as well as with a new-found respect for our veterans.