ALTON - Local veterans stopped by Riverbend Head Start and Family Services to talk with the kids, read books, and answer questions about the military.
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On Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2024, Riverbend Head Start’s Essic Robinson Center hosted an open house and welcomed veterans into their classrooms. The children paraded around the center and gave the veterans coloring sheets and cards thanking them for their service.
“It was nice. It’s always good to see the kids,” said veteran Rick Imel. “It made me feel good.”
Imel and Bryan McLellan, both veterans of the U.S. Navy, shared stories of their service with the kids. They fielded questions about working on aircraft carriers and submarines. They also read “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr., and talked about the story with the kids.
McLellan noted that while the students might not have totally understood the importance of Veterans Day, it was “still nice to see” their appreciation for veterans and their excitement for Imel and McLellan to join the class.
“I thought it was really sweet,” McLellan said. “It kind of cheered me up to see all of the kids were excited about it.”
He added that the military offers a lot of opportunities, and he hopes the students will consider the military as an option when they’re old enough to serve.
“I think it was a great experience for me and the kids,” he said. “It’s good to show them there’s still some patriotism that goes around in the world. They need to know there’s other things in life to look forward to other than what’s just around here.”
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