A very moving service salute I saw last night.

My daughter's 6th grade class had their chorus recital last night. My daughter told me beforehand that the last part of the concert may bring a tear to my eyes but nothing more.

The opened with 2 "traditional" type 6th grade songs.

The chorus instructor then had the kids part left-and-right on stage and a projector screen dropped. She said a few words about how this was the last year she'll have these kids since they move on to another instructor for 7th grade and beyond. I was expecting a PowerPoint presentation of pictures of the kids for the past 6 years which would have been touching.

Instead, it was a 4-minute service salute video to our soldiers whom have served in the Armed Forces. I was very impressed that our school would do such a wonderful tribute.

It's what happened next that blew me away. The projector screen raised and the kids reassembled. They then, with more energy than I've ever seen them sing, break into the US Army anthem. From the corner of the stage, the Principal then asked any members of the Army, past and present to please rise. The audience broke into a huge applause for those that stood. They repeated this (singing the anthem and asking those whom have served in that branch to rise) for the Navy, Air Force and Marines. The chorus then ended with God Bless America which met a spontaneous rise of all in the auditorium and singing along.

The pride I have for the school doing this and the kids learning and singing those anthems still brings a tear to my eye.

Great idea to teach the kids those songs and remember veterans. More schools should do this. Was a part of our education growing up post Korean war era. Today's youth often have no concept of what sacrifices those before them have made.

all but my youngest grew up with me wearing a uniform i havn't talked much about my time in the middle east they are just proud of the fact i answered my call to duty i spent 12 months over there and never directly raised a wepon i worked maintenance manny 17 to 20 hour days i cleaned blood and guts out of hmmw'vs and put them back together again i was a staff seargent and worked right along with my privates ,specialist and seargents. some of my peers didnt like what i was doing getting dirty wasn't being an NCO i believe my troops respected me and would have followed me any where because i wouldn't ask them to do any thing i wouldn't do my self. as i said i havn't talked to any of my kids except my oldest who is now in jrotc about what i did they just don't under stand some times why i don't give up the army taught me how to push my self beyond my limits and how to be diciplinded and as such my tour of duty felt like another day at work my hats off to all the soldiers airmen sailors and marines the job you chose to do is not one that every one can do and every piece of the puzzle is important its not just about guns boats or planes.

Bump.

Dang it, they did it again and put tears in my eyes.

4th grade concert (their youngest) was last night. They did 4 songs IIRC. BTW, concert applies to all students in this grade so it was the entire 4th grade class.

Second song was actually 2 songs in one that harmonized nicely. They were both WWI songs. I was really happy to hear that these songs are still being taught/sung buy today's youth.

Fourth song (their last) did me in. A projector screen came down and the kids put their hands on their heart and sang Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American". On the screen, a PowerPoint presentation showing pictures of service member relatives of those students.

Tears me up even today as I think about the performance.

Thats a great story, thanks for sharing.

Thanks much.......it would be great to have more schools follow ti their foot steps again thanks for posting it

Thank You.