Telfair County Elementary Honors Local Heroes on Veterans Day

MCRAE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Telfair County Elementary School Trojans honored local veterans with a special program of their own Monday.

“They fight for our freedom and if we didn’t have them, we couldn’t be here today,” said fifth grader Sawyer Floyd.

Floyd is just one of the hundreds of students at TCES who says veterans are freedom fighters.

Fourth grader Kierra Underwood said, “I’m thankful that they risk their lives for my life and my friends and my family.”

One by one, the students took turns recognizing veterans from every branch of the military. Those who answered the call to serve, spoke about their greatest accomplishments.

“I would tell anybody that one of the greatest experiences you could have as a young person is to go to the military, be all that you can be,” said United States Army Sgt. James Franklin Cray.

“The proudest three years of my life were serving our nation because what an honor that is to serve your country,” said Sgt. Clarence “Bo” Jackson, U.S. Marines.

TCES Principal Anthony McIver believes their willingness to serve and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

“They’ve served our country and they’ve worked hard in our community and we’re a small community so everybody works together for the betterment of our school,” said McIver.

It is something U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gwenevere Hentz hopes is passed down for generations. It is a call to one day serve in the military and join a nation of heroes.

Staff Sgt. Gwenevere Hentz was the guest speaker at the TCES Veterans Day celebration. She is a native of McRae and served in the US army for 8.5 years.