Veterans Day, observed annually on November 11th, honors those who served in the United States Military during both times of war and peace. At West High School, that honor takes place in an annual school-wide assembly dedicated to celebrating local and national veterans and recognizing their service.
Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wallace joined as the special guest during the assembly as a longtime Air Force veteran and current Air Force JROTC Instructor at West. Wallace enlisted in March of 1988 and graduated from an in flight refueling specialist course in just six months later. Wallace’s background in duty is extensive from serving as a Boom Operator to being deployed multiple times in support of operations in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Most recently, he has been deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. His background doesn’t end there as he has flown combat missions from England in support of Operations Odyssey Dawn and in the NATO led Operation Unified Protector.
After retiring from active duty, Wallace has now been teaching at West High school for 7.5 years as the AFJROTC instructor. As Wallace reflects back on what this day means to him he noted that “I realized I don’t often think of myself as a veteran. Maybe that’s because I basically went from active duty Air Force and 20 days later, I started here at West High as the Air Force JROTC instructor to restart the program,” says Wallace.
For Wallace, the shift from serving airmen to teaching students felt like a continuation of his mission. “As an aerospace science instructor, I’m still trying to lead and teach young adults, not too much younger than some of the airmen that I taught in the Air Force,” he says.
As Wallace reflects on what it means to be a veteran, Wallace emphasized the idea of patriotism. “A patriot is a person who loves and supports and defends their country and interests with devotion,” he says. According to Wallace, Veteran’s Day is dedicated to serving “those patriots that raised their hand and said ‘I will go.’”
Wallace said that one of the greatest lessons he’s taken from his years of service is the strength of the bonds formed between those who serve together. Wallace voices that the relationships made while serving will go on to last a lifetime. “That bond basically makes friends seem like family. I call it framily. And then sometimes your framily is actually closer to you than your actual family.”
For Wallace, his “framily” now includes his JROTC cadets with students like Senior James Knight. Knight has been a part of JROTC all four years of high school. Under the wing of Chief Wallace, Knight has been influenced in a multitude of ways, one being pursuing JROTC in college. “ His service and teaching me throughout JROTC has inspired me to pursue JROTC in college and serve in the Air Force before serving in the private sector at places like Lockheed Martin or Boeing,” shares Knight.
Knight added that Wallace’s years in the military have given him a deeper perspective on how to teach and lead others. “His service in the military was very long, and I think that it kind of gave him a perspective that, after seeing the different generations go through the military, and that he needs to influence them in a way that inspires them to serve,” Knight states.
Wallace often reminds his cadets that their generation will soon take the reins. “You know all of the youth today, you and here are going to replace me and all the other adults in this room,” he told the crowd during his speech. “So it’s on us to make sure that we’re mentoring you to be good citizens. And so that’s what I get to do every day, obviously, with JROTC,” he said.
During the assembly, all West High veterans were recognized, including Assistant Principal Steve Winters. Winters served as a U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant First Class E-7. “To be honest with you, the best thing I probably ever did was join the service. I was 17 years old. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had no clue what I wanted to do. I’d never really been away from home for very long, and it made me grow up and instilled confidence,” said Winters.
As the ceremony came to a close, Wallace reminded students that Veteran’s Day isn’t just about ceremonies or posts online. Above all, today is a day of celebration. “Today is a celebration of the few who said, ‘I will,’” he said.” Wallace urged the student body to celebrate the veterans they know in their own lives. “I urge you to celebrate a few, the few who have served. If they are your grandfather, your grandmother, father, mother, maybe an aunt or an uncle, perhaps a cousin, or even a friend of yours, call them. Don’t just make a post on Facebook or a snap or any other kind of social media about ‘thank you for your service,’ call. Better yet, if they live in the Cedar Valley, go to them and tell them thank you for saying ‘I will go.’”
