Student Pallbearers (Texas Country Reporter)

A group of high school students have come together to honor the lives of veterans.

Colonel William LaChance & the ROTC
Robert G. Cole Middle and High School
4001 Winans Rd
San Antonio, TX 78234
Phone: 210-368-8730

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Video Script:: 

[Music] I spent close to 26 years in the Army I was a medevac pilot and retired in 2013 and then decided to come here to coal it's a normal high school so it has all the activities that he'd expected any high school ROTC is an elective among any other activities band choir football so we're just another activity on the campus good morning it's the morning formation outside Robert G Cole High School in San Antonio retired colonel William LaChance observes his cadets in this tightly regimented daily exercise I have a quite senior cadet doing the inspection today she's a cadet major so she's the second highest-ranking cadet in the battalion and she's tough even though they've done this countless times routine or not the colonel takes pride in these students who've made the decision to step into leadership roles at such a young age this is Charlie Company that's one of our classes we give them all a designation as a company beyond that you can see our brand new football stadium and then right next door is the the cemetery the cemetery Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery the cemetery makes an impact on them every day because it's a reminder of the values that we're trying to reinforce here it's a reminder of their parents own service it's a reminder of the lineage tradition and history that they have to support when they wear that uniform that we give them it's a reminder of so much that is so important Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery the landscape seems to stretch to the horizon in every direction with the headstones of Heroes more than 100,000 white monuments to American men and women who took the solemn oath in the ultimate act of patriotism this humbling place is the view from Col High School on any given day the echo of a solitary bugle rolls across the entire campus and that sound is a call to action for an elite group of high school students [Music] today we had gathered here to honor our fallen servicemen marine private Wade Fletcher in Airman Patrick Gorman [Music] previous one of the things that we are honored to do and frankly I don't know of any other high school in the nation that does this is that we are privileged to have our kids serve as pallbearers for homeless and unaccompanied veteran funerals they don't have families or perhaps they're indigent or whatever there's a national program that provides them a casket provides them so many different services and then we are honored to provide the pallbearers for that this a year alone we've already done 11 funerals last year we did seven the year before that six so they're increasing what our kids will be there numerous veterans organizations will be there it's heartwarming to see so many turnout for these services that test back in math class third period study hall maybe even lunch in the cafeteria will have to wait they may be junior seniors freshman or sophomores but today United Anna gesture of Honor the hours and hours of practice and precision timing is on full display it's important for all veterans to be honored and frankly that's what they are they're veterans there's no homeless or unaccompanied title they're veterans which means that in their point in time they raised their right hand and said so help me God and so as we bid farewell to them and honor them they deserve that dignity that respect that gratitude face the casket is holding someone who served our country who put their life on the line to give us freedom it's a really eye-opening experience it's a huge honor to be part of that to be part of something like that it's it's huge it doesn't matter whether they were a private hurt at you know in general I'm gonna carry them with the same respect the same dignity that I would anyone else I can teach in this classroom all year long but I cannot teach them what that service will teach them in 30 minutes and not a word is spoken so it does have a very deep impact on you could see it in they don't have to say it so this flag on this table what does that mean to you it was a couple of years ago though all the flags had been removed after Memorial Day from all the stones and they were all on a bin and our kids were going in there you know pulling them out cleaning them up rolling them up for the for the cemetery staff and there was one I saw in there that it just caught me this one here says dad I need you and it's got the kids name and on the side this is I miss you you kept it you damn right I kept it because it didn't deserve to be in a pile and to it obviously has very special meaning in so so many ways I mean for me it reminds me of my own kids reminds me of those that I lost marine private Wade Fletcher and Airman Patrick Gorman neither men are related to or known by anyone gathered here today but each laid to rest with a full military funeral Colonel William LaChance has more than 100 Junior ROTC students who rotate in and out of these honored ceremonies throughout the year a touching gesture of lasting respect and lasting memories after the echoes of taps have played and everybody's gone what's one thing you want to say to these kids for them to remember thank you it's simple words what more can you say [Music] you