RE recognizes Veterans Day with assembly, flag-raising

At the assembly, Perez thanked the soldiers, past and present, who sacrificed their time and livelihoods and risked their lives. During the flag raising, he offered a special acknowledgement for prisoners of war and those missing in action as a black POW/MIA flag was raised near the cannon, which stated: "THANK YOU VETS." Members of the Honor Our Heroes club, including vice president Chuli Serra '24 and Mateo Heitner '25, assisted with the flag-raising, and musician Ian Barnett '23 played the violin.

During the assembly, Pearson, who served in the Army infantry for eight years, explained the trust and depth of the connection he shared with fellow service members. He told students he lost his best friend on a mission in Afghanistan that he originally had been scheduled to attend. "My time with the Army was a roller coaster of emotion," he said. "Moments of excitement, moments of fear, and there were moments of sadness, too."

RE upper school students also heard from Myriam Gollan, the assistant to the head of school who served in the Navy as a cryptologic interpreter. Gollan talked about the relevance of service and described it as "a journey of coming of age" during which "your leadership skills are tested every step of the way." Service members, she said, learn self-discipline, focus, selflessness, teamwork and the meaning of public service.

The upper school student body gave Pearson and Gollan a standing ovation. The assembly also included a performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" by RE's new vocal ensemble under the direction of Laura Montes, and a video showing photos of service members who are family of current RE staff, faculty or students.