The history lesson students at Essex Elementary School (EES) received on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, was straight from the source as 20 veterans imparted their past military experiences with the students.

After an Honor Walk held in the school’s front hallway, which involved kids from grades K-6 handing poems, letters and cards to visiting veterans, the veterans then visited various classrooms, answering questions and explaining to the students in what part of the military they served and what they did or do to help protect the United States.

“It is important that all our young people understand what veterans do and have done for us,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Levy, who attended the event. “We honor our veterans by having them in our schools on this day and we believe this is a far better way to teach our students about our country and those who protect and serve, instead of having the day off. This is a way they can truly learn about history.”

Prior to the Veteran’s Day visit, the students at EES had been preparing in the classroom, learning about what serving in the military means and the importance of veterans to the United States.

“We have been preparing for about a month here at EES,” explained Principal Scott Jeffrey. “We have various committees that meet to talk through how we are going to present this day to our students and how we will welcome our veterans into our school.”

He added, “This is a wonderful learning experience for all the students and a great way to honor our veterans and teach history at the same time.”

The students and staff at EES, as well as the hallways, were adorned in red, white, and blue for the day. The halls were decorated with construction paper flags and showcases encapsulating pictures, uniforms, and other interesting military memorabilia.

Essex resident Chris Quinlog, who is currently actively serving in the Navy, said he was honored and excited to be part of the Veteran’s Day celebration. His son Willum is a 2nd-grade student at EES. Quinlog spoke not only to his son’s class, but two others as well.

“I think exposure to the veterans is important for students so we open up the discussion about freedom,” said Quinlog, who has served in the Navy for the past 25-plus years.

He has been stationed all over the world including Hawaii, Washington State, and Japan, to name a few. Currently he works as part of a regional support group overseeing quality assurance at the Groton Submarine Base.

“I would never miss an opportunity to enhance students’ knowledge in any way I can, so if I have a day off to come here on Veteran’s Day and volunteer my time so the kids can learn, I will definitely do it,” said Quinlog. “It is a totally different learning experience when these students hear it from a veteran, than from their teacher.”

This year, Quinlog took a new approach to his time in the classroom. He did his best to try to match up the things students like to do best with the experiences he has had in the military working on submarines and aircraft carriers.

One 4th grade student explained that one of his favorite things to do is eat, so Quinlog explained how every one of the 120 people on his submarine had to help out with preparing meals, and then they had to make sure to eat quickly so as to make sure that everyone got a chance to eat. He also explained that, while living in the submarine, the smell of what was cooking was one way the soldiers knew what time of day it was, because there was no sunlight.

“When we smelled syrup and pancakes, we knew it was breakfast and morning time,” said Quinlog.

Another student said he liked to play with Legos, so Quinlog explained that he also like to build things, which is how he got involved working as a mechanic in the Navy.

“I love to put things together and see how they work,” said Quinlog, adding, “The cool thing about being in the military is that if you stay in long enough, you get to do a whole bunch of different things.”

He also explained that sometimes he has to be away from his family for months on end, which is not so much fun, but that he very much enjoys his job and being part of Navy working to protect America and keep the country safe.

“Each year this program is a little different, there are different veterans that come to speak with the students and each presentation is different, but it is always a great learning experience and getting the chance to meet the veterans in person and hear their stories and thank them for all they do is an important part of this day for our students,” said Jeffrey, who plans on keeping the tradition going in the school in future years.