MANCHESTER – Veterans were once again honored on Veterans Day at Manchester Township High School during its 21st Annual Veterans Recognition Program.
The ROTC Cadets presented the colors and “The Star-Spangled Banner” was performed by the Concert Choir who also performed an armed services medley.
High School Senior Naval Science Instructor Retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander John Holzer welcomed the attendees and the guest speaker was retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Jeremy A. Hill.
Hill enlisted in the Air Force in 1997 and is known for his role as the commandant of the Kish Airman Leadership School at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where he led the first Airman Leadership School (ALS) class to include students from all six U.S. military services.
His military career includes training as an F-15 aircraft maintenance technician, becoming a pilot, serving as a T-1 instructor pilot, and flying as a C-17 pilot. He also served as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in charge of fire prevention at the base.
Hill who was born in Hartford Connecticut participated in multiple missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and was involved in relief efforts for the Haiti earthquake and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
“I think we are fortunate to find ourselves in a sovereign soil that grants us the right – dare I say the duty to believe in and cherish what we have,” Hill told the audience of cadets, veterans and public officials. “It has been fought for, bled for by the families that I speak to this cause today.”
“We memorialize them with our time and tradition,” Hill added. “I sometimes worry about the impact of the changing environment has on our youth today from things that interrupt their development like covid and a polarizing landscape. It concerns me.”
Hill added that when put the test and whether the country could stand up for the challenges facing it, “I feel no one and I mean no one is more suited to face this then the youth of the United States of America.”
He told the young people in the audience that the knowledge gained by their predecessors was not outdated. “You are granted a new perspective because you can stand on the shoulders of those giants who came before you. They fought hard with less tools to give you your current outlook. The view was hard fought for and earned, so cherish that knowledge and wisdom.”
Hill noted, “the purpose of a fight is to win… The sword is more important than the shield and skill more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental. I personally always sought to be an asset able to help wherever and in whatever capacity I am called to do so.”
“When I look around and see young Americans blending both physical and digital information systems and seamlessly match intelligent interfaces, I am simply awestruck. Mostly because I can’t handle my iPhone correctly,” Hill said with a laugh. He said however that the young needed to be grounded by their forebearers.
“I think the symptoms of our culture are influenced externally but the primary mechanism for change is indigenous. We all have a responsibility to our families, communities and our country to be assets and not liabilities, to maintain the American desire for our family’s future. An old Chinese saying, ‘he who blames others has a long way to go in their journey, he who blames himself is halfway there, he who blames no one has arrived,’” Hill added.
The township tradition drew a crowd made up of veterans, ROTC students, school administrators, elected officials, and Police Chief Antonio Ellis and members of the police department.
The recognition of veterans and refreshments provided by the MTHS faculty and staff followed the ceremony.
The public is welcome to nominate graduates with military service for recognition in the Hawks Hall of Honor. To send a request for information to do so, e-mail jholzer@mtschools.org.
