At the invitation of our good friend “Pres,” vice president of Rolling Thunder PA chaper 1, Warriors’ Watch and Friends of the Forgotten joined that group in a remarkable event that taught all of us at least as much as we had hoped to teach these kids.

Albert Schweitzer Elementary School in Penndel, Bucks County, is a school where the stereotypical notions of what some schools fail to teach our young about recent history are brushed aside by dedicated teachers who know the importance of our veterans and their sacrifices. In an email to me, Prez wrote

“These kids put on on hell of a Veterans Day program inviting about a dozen of us Vets to what they called (Take a Veteran To School Day) last November. The school was covered with drawings symbolizing their knowledege of what a veteran is as well as pictures of their relatives ad famous celebrity veterans on the walls throughout the school.

They asked very intelligent questions for kids their age and then provided a lunch for us where they picked which veteran they wanted to sit and lunch with. It was very moving.

I asked if they would like to have a POW flag and if they would like to have some vets present it to the school and the principle said they would be proud to display it under the American flag.

I thought the bikes would be an added treat for the kids.”

And it sure as heck was. On Thursday afternoon, May 22, we gathered at a central location outside of the school and at 3pm roared in to the school yard, 20 motorcycles with big flags flying, let by Prez’s “POW” trike. Hundreds of kids stood in jaw-dropping awe as we pulled in to their school.

Rain had been threatening all day, so the program had been moved indoors to the auditorum, but by the time we got there the sun was shining down out of a brilliant blue sky, so ALL the kids were brought back outside and lined up by class around the big school flag pole. There were about 200 kids of 5th-grade age, and it was a tear-jerker to see them there so reverently paying attention to what we were doing with their flags.

The big flagpole had received a fresh coat of paint just the day before in preparation for this event, and two lucky kids were chosen to raise the new flag. Prez presented the flag to the principle, and a custodian lowered the American flag, hooked their new POW/MIA flag to brand-new clips under the American flag, and all the Veterans and Warriors’ Watch Riders and Rolling Thunder and Friends of the Forgotten and American Combat Veteran MC members snapped to attention and saluted as the new flag was raised.

This is EXACTLY the important type of work that groups like ours will continue to persue in the months and years ahead – educating each new generation in the meaning of the symbols that we use and the honorable history behind them.

We left the school with information on the meaning and symbolism of the POW/MIA flag that will be taught to the kids in weeks ahead so that they know what the flag they see at their building means.

Warriors’ Watch, WELL DONE! Prez, THANK YOU for the invitation. It was Great!

For more photos of the day, please click here:

http://family.webshots.com/album/563553485UoRHFt