On Wednesday November 11, 2015, Cherry Creek celebrated Veterans Day in a special way. Creek provided breakfast and goods for veterans in the area. Most of the visitors were family members of Creek students. The event was put together by the Activities Office and run with the help of The Future Soldiers of America Club. The club helped to co-sponsor the event along with putting it together that morning.

The sponsor of the club is history teacher Virginia​ DeCesare, and she has been the sponsor for two years. “I think that they are some of the best kids in the school,” said DeCesare. “They are very highly motivated.”

Future Soldiers of America was created by Michael Bardas in 2011. Bardas, who has since graduated and become an Army Reserve, was one of the speakers.

Before any speakers presented, students of Creek’s Meistersingers choir began the celebration by singing the National Anthem. After that, a color guard ceremony presented the flags to a room of silent onlookers. The first speaker was Principal Silva, thanking and all the veterans in the audience.

The current president of Future Soldiers of America, John Williamson, was the next speaker, and most of his speech was focused on his story and his gratitude to the veterans.

Bardas told his story of what got him into the military. He knew from a young age that he wanted to serve, He said that the seven year old version of himself claimed, while playing in the Atlanta International Airport, that he was “Going to be a GI Joe someday.”

The keynote speaker, Sergeant Sean Endsley of the 82nd Airborne Division, had a short-lived military career due to health problems, but nonetheless, he had great times. He earned a degree from Colorado State University before 9/11 occurred. It lit a spark in him, “My life was changed forever. It removed any remaining doubt about the armed forces.” One of his many message to the attendees and everyone else was, “You have to have confidence in yourself, but if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else is going to either. It starts and stops with you.”

Before the closing of the event, each of the veteran’s names were read by Future Soldiers of America, and the yearbook club took a picture of all of the vets.

The Union Street Journal gives its thanks to all current and past veterans.