“A Legacy of Loyalty and Service” Bucktail High Honors Veterans with Heartfelt Assembly Led by Local Heroes
FARWELL -Each year, retired teacher Trish Wilson heads up the annual Veterans Day Assembly at Bucktail Middle/Senior high school, where all students, faculty and the public are welcomed to a morning of appreciation for all Veterans, with an emphasis on those that have come from western Clinton County.
It was a tradition Wilson helped to revive decades ago as those who served are welcomed guests and speakers, that not only allows the public to show appreciation but also teaches the students in the audience what true sacrifice is about.
This year’s theme, “A Legacy of Loyalty and Service” was custom made for the Renovo area whose veteran’s participation is second to none. The word legacy caused pride to swell the walls of Bucktail as it offered a unique chance for the speakers, the veterans themselves, to speak of legacy as all of them expressed admiration for family members that came before them.
Colonel Steve Rathmell- Commander 224 Air Defense Group Eastern Air Defense Sector-Retired spoke of early memories of seeing his father Pete Rathmell’s dog tags growing up and credited those as his first thoughts on joining the military.
“My Dad, who is sitting in the front row, flew missions for the Air Force and seeing his dog tags was likely what gave me those first thoughts of entering the military” Col Rathmell explained, before offering a quick description of what dog tags are to the students.
Col. Rathmell spoke of other family members as well, including his brother Trey. The retired serviceman said that all told he figures that his immediate family members have a combined 100 years of service which in addition to his Dad includes his Uncle Ray Rathmell, father and son in law Mike Fedele Sr. and Jr., as well as his son in law Richard Perry.
First Sergeant US Army retired Tom Tarantella was also a featured speaker as he too listed countless family members that have proudly served.
The retired First Sergeant challenged everyone in the audience to go and read the names on the Memorial of the 16th Street Park and see if they can find family members that served in WWI listed on it. He then explained that his grandfather’s name is emboldened on the memorial, even though he would not become a US Citizen until 1934.
The retired serviceman said that the gravity of what it meant to serve hit him when his Dad met him at the airport as he arrived home from one of his missions. When the father and son embraced, his father Albert whispered to him ‘I now know how my Dad felt when I came home’, a feeling that certainly only a family of veterans can try and explain to the rest of us.
Tarantella was also able to look at Rathmell who had just spoken of his brother Trey and said that he saw the older Rathmell in action, proudly serving in a moment of war during Desert Storm.
John Tarantella retired USMC and Senior Vice Commandant, Detachment 856 Marine Corp League offered a sign of appreciation to the family members that stand by a veterans side and steady the ship at home in his remarks.
“Veterans have missed birthdays, holidays and precious moments with loved ones while serving far from home” Tarantella said. “But we recognize not just those that served but their family members who supported them through long deployments and anxious nights.”
Perhaps nothing hit as close to the students as to when Dean of Students at Bucktail and veteran Mike Poorman introduced seniors Lilly Sporny and Mattisyn Mason who have both joined the PA National Guard as seniors at Bucktail. Junior Hayleigh Dent was also welcomed to the stage as she too plans on joining the PA National Guard next year as a 12th grader. Dent had been a constant to Wilson this year in setting up the Veterans Day tribute.
Poorman spoke to the students in the audience offering that even if military service is not in their future, plenty of lessons could be learned just by being in the presence of such great people gathered at their school.
“You don’t have to be a veteran but you can lend a helping hand, stand up for what’s right or work hard to make your community a better place” Poorman said. “You may not wear a uniform but you can serve with the same kindness, dedication and courage that our veterans have shown us.”
Several slide shows and performances by the Bucktail Concert Band, singers Autumn Gavlock, Veteran Courtney Billings and Kedda Bissman were also just some of the highlights of what a perfect morning in Farwell.
