Hampton Heroes program honors veterans

The 22nd annual Hampton Heroes’ induction ceremony took place Nov. 6 at Fridley Field, with students from the township’s three elementary schools present.

Not only were the young learners in attendance, but they were a big part of the production.

Central Elementary Principal Amy Kern was instrumental in organizing the event.

“Each of the grades contributed to some portion of the celebration today. The third-grade art classes created the signage. The fourth-grade students passed out thank-you letters to the vets, and the fifth-graders wrote poems and essays about what a veteran is,” said Kern.

Some of the students were selected to share their poems or essays event.

“We wish we could have let every student share, but we’d be here all day,” Kern said.

One young lady who got to read her statement had a message for her mother, who is a veteran:

“Thank you for being so loving and so helpful.”

Another student explained what a hero means to her:

“A hero is brave and trustworthy, risking their lives to protect ours.”

And in describing veterans, a youngster said:

“They protect us. They are leaders. They make the world a better place.”

Students from Wyland Elementary and members of Cub Scout Pack 13 and Girl Scout Troop 16718 were given the opportunity to retire the colors. They folded a giant American flag 13 times into the shape of a triangle.

Kern explained that the gathering was a joint effort, and it took many volunteers to bring it all together.

A fifth-grade trumpet trio performed “Taps” as a dedication to those who were killed in combat. The Armed Forces Medley was sung by students in the choir, and the fifth-grade orchestra performed the recessional music with a song by Steven Campbell, “Airborne Heroes.”

Most notable was the money raised by the students in a fundraiser called Pennies for Patriots. The elementary students raised nearly $3,900 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

“It just makes me so proud. It’s great for the students to be a part of this,” said Kern.

Seven veterans were selected for induction to Hampton Heroes for 2023: Gavin Church, Mark D’Amico, Bill Daugherty, Robert Kuhn, Bill Marsh, Timothy Tocci and Wayne Koble, all of whom were recognized at the event.

Church, who had his four young children in attendance with him, served five years on active duty and eight years as a reservist. He saw heavy combat in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan.

“This is a fantastic event for the vets and the students. It’s awesome that Hampton does this. I don’t know of many other schools that do this,” said Church.

The guest speaker was Tocci, a retired lieutenant commander and husband of Wyland Elementary Principal Laurie Tocci.

The event attracted numerous veterans from the community, as well as others looking to support a good cause.

One guest at the event was Alice McLaughlin, Veterans Day race director for Operation Troop Appreciation, a nonprofit organization that puts together care packages for service members while they are stationed abroad.

“We just held one of our biggest fundraisers here in the Hampton Community Park,” McLaughlin said, with about 200 runners participating, plus plenty of community support. “You have to remember, when one person in a family serves, the whole family serves.”

McLaughlin attended the Hampton Heroes event to offer her support, and she was quite pleased with what she experienced.

“The poems and essays from the students were so sincere,” she said. “These vets must feel so grateful and so appreciated to know that their service was recognized.”