Plum Senior High School Junior ROTC holds emotional Veterans Day ceremony

On this Veterans Day, communities across western Pennsylvania are taking time to honor the men and women who served and continue to serve the United States. 

At Plum Senior High School, a student-led ceremony gave the community the chance to reflect on the sacrifices made. 

"Grateful for the ones who made it, and thank God for everyone else," said Anthony Telles, U.S. Air Force. 

Telles was joined by fellow veterans, students, and teachers - along with the school's junior ROTC - who put the ceremony on and truly put the meaning of Veterans Day front and center. 

"I'm really proud of watching them, and what they accomplish every year, and how much they grow over the two or four years; sometimes it chokes you up a little bit," said Colonel Paul Nosek, senior aerospace instructor from the junior ROTC. 

"I think it's really important for most students because they don't really understand the impact of Veterans Day, and what the veterans do for our country," said Xoey Thorwart, cadet Lt. Colonel and group commander in the junior ROTC. "I think when you do something emotional, it hits harder for them." 

This year's ceremony looked back at two defining moments in history: 85 years since the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and 25 years since the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Students also read the names of local veterans, performed the prisoner-of-war missing-man table ceremony, and shared actual letters veterans wrote to their loved ones while deployed. 

"You miss out on a lot of holidays, family birthdays, and everything, so just to have a deeper understanding that they do sacrifice a lot," said Thorwart.