TIOGA, PA (WENY) -- A salute to veterans was hosted by students and faculty at Williamson High School in Tioga, Pennsylvania Thursday morning.

Band and chorus students started off the morning with the playing of Taps, and then a musical medley of the songs of all of the branches of service. The event serves as a celebration of veterans in the community, who were recognized for their service. This year's assembly had a special focus this year on Vietnam War veterans. One of the speakers was Ken Leone, who served with the U.S. Army as part of a joint force with the U.S. Navy, known as the Mobile Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta. He detailed his time in Vietnam, including the loss of three of his close friends, whose names are now on national Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC.

"This is our annual event, we do this every year, I think it's a great thing for our students to see and recognize the people in the community that had made that sacrifice to join our military. it's honestly my favorite day of the year - for our students its a great lesson to learn that the sacrifices made by our men and women allow us to have the freedoms that we have today," said Principal William Butterfield, who is also a veteran.

Butterfield explains that it's important to recognize our veterans, especially those who served in Vietnam, to say "welcome home" - for the one they didn't receive when they returned home after fighting in the war. He said it's important for the students as well, to get to know their neighbors, or even teachers in the school who have served in the military.

A focus was made as well to spotlight Williamson High School as the host site for The Moving Wall in July of 2024. The Moving Wall is a half-sized traveling replica of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and will be on continuous public display from July 10th through the 15th. 

Students were encouraged to consider volunteering while The Moving Wall is in the community, whether it be reading aloud names on the wall, or assisting with the event in some other way.