'They deserve all the support they can get'

FINDLAY — For several years, the Liberty-Benton High School Support Our Soldiers (S.O.S.) Club has been hard at work to show ways to support Liberty-Benton alumni who are veterans or currently serving in the military. This year's activities have included sending packages to those serving in the Middle East, as well as planning a 101st birthday party for a World War II veteran. The SOS Club is a student-led action team that strives to show their appreciation for the troops, as well as offering support to military-connected students. Past projects have included a Veterans Day breakfast and assembly, care packages and letters to those serving, Purple Star Spirit Week, National Guard Wrestling Night, Military Signing Night, First Responder/Military Night, and volunteering at a display of The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Club advisor Mychelle Dukes said the club started about five years ago as part of an effort to educate students about military life, past and present. Her own son had signed up for the Army National Guard. "We started out small, sending care packages," she said. But they continued to look for more ways to give back. Zach Elchert, a senior, said it's rewarding to see how "something as small as a conversation with (veterans) brightens their day." Many club members have connections to the military. Senior Hudson Day's uncle had deployed to Afghanistan, for example. "Even if they don't get deployed, they definitely make a sacrifice," he said. Carson Click, a sophomore, said his great-grandfather had served in the Air Force but he never knew much about it. He added that, before he joined this club, he hadn't realized how many veterans are in our community. "You go about your day" not realizing, Day said. But the more the students learned about local veterans and their stories, the more fascinated they were. Students in the club raised funds and sought donations to create a wall at Liberty-Benton dedicated to veterans connected with the school. The wall features photographs of veterans from all eras and branches of service, along with dog tags listing their name, branch and Liberty-Benton graduation year. A "chair of honor" is also dedicated to prisoners of war and those missing in action. Elchert said the research was eye-opening. "We had to go through years and years of yearbooks," he said. He said families were appreciative of the work, however. At the opening night for the wall, people came to see photographs of family members. The wall makes the veterans' stories visible not only to students but to the broader community. Principal Ben Gerken noted that its placement on campus means community members from outside the school often walk past it to attend volleyball and basketball games. The pictures on the wall include one of a mother welcoming home her son, returning from the Army National Guard. Today that son, Hancock County sheriff's deputy Brandon Kendrick, serves as the school resource officer at Liberty-Benton. "I feel blessed and honored," he said. Kendrick recalled, while serving in Afghanistan, how much the care packages helped. "Getting that care package from home was something we all looked forward to," he said. Dukes said a student researching the wall realized a 100-year-old veteran was still in the area. Calvin Rettig served in the Army in World War II. The students threw a birthday party when Rettig turned 101 earlier this year. "It felt kind of surreal…. That's the first World War II veteran I've ever met in my life," said Robert Lawrence, a senior. Dukes said a party had been scheduled for Rettig at AMVETS, but because of a snowstorm, many people weren't able to attend. They worked to make a celebration happen at school. They also learned about Rettig's own high school years at Liberty-Benton, including participating in band and choir. "After all the years, all he has to say is, 'Be kind to other people,'" Day said. The students have made other friends across the generations. Day accompanied a Vietnam veteran on an Honor Flight to visit the war memorials. He said he spent the day talking with the veteran, who talked about his wife and family. Dukes said another student who accompanied a veteran on an Honor Flight stayed friends with the veteran, who has since visited her at college. Lawrence said it has been interesting to hear the veterans talk and learn not only about their service but about how different everyday life was in earlier generations. And he finds it rewarding to be able to light up their faces, to see "the giant smiles." Sophomore Levi Miller finds it meaningful to be able to support "the heroes, like my dad. Being able to recognize him." Miller's father is retired from the Air Force. He began serving before Miller was born. "It's just always been something I've been accustomed to," Miller said. "I haven't known anything different." His father's military career included multiple deployments, one of them right before the COVID-19 pandemic. Miller said it was hard for the family not having him home. But "it's an honor to serve, for our country…. I think it's awesome," he said. The school has also dedicated sporting events to veterans, such as a military football night. The club holds a Veterans Day breakfast and an assembly, honoring each branch of the military in turn. Day said the themes have varied but touch on topics like duty, honor and sacrifice. Students also helped with Silent Watch, an event dedicated to raising awareness of veteran suicide. Elchert said many recent Liberty-Benton alumni have enlisted, including one of his friends, and the hope is that they feel supported. Dukes said the club keeps in touch with recent graduates, sending care packages. A few have visited to talk to the students. Dukes said some students in the SOS Club have also themselves expressed interest in serving in the military. She also recently started an SOS Club at Liberty-Benton Middle School. With Liberty-Benton alumni currently serving in the Middle East, one current priority for students has been to send care packages to them, Dukes said. "They deserve all the support they can get," Miller said.