St. Aloysius School students celebrated Veterans Day with some special visitors who shared stories of their military service in a program called "A Salute to American Veterans." On hand to talk to the students were SPF 5 William Owens, who served in U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War, and Capt. Sandra Gilmore of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Owens was just 19 years old in 1968 when he was drafted into the United States Army, where he eventually served in Special Forces as crew chief on a plane that carried the Green Berets to and from their assignments. Some of those assignments were "kind of scary" he said. He then urged the children to use Veterans Day to "pay tribute to all soldiers, reaching back to the Civil War ... to the present day."

Gilmore, who is a veterinarian, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a young woman to help her pay for college expenses. She served in Iraq in 2005-2006, then on a humanitarian mission in El Salvador (where she met her husband Nick Gilmore), and recently returned from another humanitarian mission to Kyrgyzstan, a country in central Asia.

She explained about her work in Iraq and recalled that on a daily basis "the mean guys would try to hurt us, so we ... went to hide in the bunkers." The bombings eventually became part of their everyday routine, she said.

Gilmore was in Kyrgyzstan from March to September this year, leaving her husband and their two sons (St. Aloysius students Nicholas, 6, and Sullivan, 5) at home. Although she was ready and willing to serve all three times, worrying about a husband and two young sons took a toll, she admitted. The family was able to regularly talk with "face time" using computers — something that eased her worries about how their day-to-day life was progressing.

While in Kyrgyzstan, Gilmore helped care for animals needed to provide food, helped in the "chow hall" and spent time with orphans who don't experience the freedom that Americans enjoy.

"In the United States we tell our children that 'God loves you, we love you and you can grow up to do anything you want because you are free.' The children in those countries weren't born free and that's why I'm here to talk to you," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "I'm still in the Army and I have stayed in the Army for 15 years because I love this country and I love all of you."

Also on hand for the assembly, which began and ended in prayer, was the Sacred Heart-Griffin Band, playing several selections, and Tom Evanich and Boy Scout Pack 53 who took part in a flag ceremony. The Color Guard consisted of Chris Evanich, Alex Spainhour and Jakob Benning.

The assembly and a small reception that followed were sponsored by the St. Aloysius student council.