Mariners School gives military a warm thanks

It was the “Thank You” and “Welcome Home” that some veterans said they had never before received.

More than 400 teachers, students, alumni, veterans, active military members and their friends and family arrived at the Mariners Christian School auditorium Wednesday morning in Costa Mesa for its annual Veterans Day observance.

For around 11 years, the campus has held a special program to not only honor service men and women, but to also have their students learn about at least one military-related component.

Last year, the event spotlighted the role of animals in the military and the school adopted a Labrador to be given to Freedom Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs for Marines wounded by emotional or physical injuries from war.

This year’s educational component focused on the role of technology in the military.

James Evatt, whose two granddaughters attend Mariners, has come to the event the past four years. Evatt served as an engineer and pilot in the U.S. Air Force for 23 years.

“Ever since my granddaughters started going to school here, I’ve always been impressed by three things: the school’s work in providing an academic education, a Christian education and what they do to honor veterans,” he said.

Evatt was invited as a special guest speaker and shared how his experiences with the Air Force led him to a passion for engineering and a career in engineering management at Boeing.

Guests and the students in the auditorium also shared “oohs” and “aahs” over a quadcopter demonstration operated by Mariners alum Wesley Parsons. The flying device, also equipped with a camera, is used for military search and rescue missions.

“Technology affects the everyday work life of the military,” said Parsons, who now works under an aerial filming retail company. “It’s important to encourage the future mathematicians and engineers at Mariners because they could be contributing to new technology.”

At the beginning of the auditorium event, Dwight Hanson, a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps and father of a Mariners student, led the posting of the colors where students brought in the American flag and a flag from each branch of service into the auditorium.

Hanson later had all Vietnam War veterans stand so that attendees could warmly say “Welcome Home” to them. It was a welcome the veterans did not receive 40 years ago, Hanson said.

The transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes recited poems dedicated to the attending veterans at the program.

Later, the second- and third-grade students sang an Armed Forces Medley for members of the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines while fourth- and fifth-grade students sang the Coast Guard Anthem.

During the event, Mariners ASB officers Caroline Brewster, Alex Ianni and Sophie Stameson presented two checks totaling $6,900 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 in Dana Point. The school raised $1,900 during its pancake breakfast fundraiser last week and added a $5,000 honorarium in their contribution.

Korean War veteran Maurice Hansen was there to accept the donation on behalf of VFW Post 9934.

“I got to say something I’ve never said before,” he told the audience when receiving the donation. “You’ve touched my heart big time. I’ve never been thanked so many times and it’s because of your care and tender love.”

The morning program concluded with a group song of “God Bless America” and a prayer led by Mariners head of school Troy Moore.