Starting today, every day will be Veterans Day at Maria Regina High School, thanks to the all-girls Catholic high school’s inaugural Virtual Veterans Hall of Honor (Veterans Day – Virtual Wall of Honor – Maria Regina High School). It’s an ambitious and ongoing student-led project to create an enduring tribute to the many veterans of Maria Regina’s community, including the students’ families, alumnae, and members of the administration, faculty, and staff.
As a new online feature hosted on the school’s website, www.MariaRegina.org, the Virtual Veterans Hall of Honor will make it possible not only for the school’s extended family but prospective parents and students, the general public, among others, to access and learn about Maria Regina’s veterans.
The profiles of the veterans, which the students researched, include information about where and when the veterans served, the ranks they held, commendations earned, as well as vintage photos of them shown in the military uniforms they wore when they served.
As a work in progress,(Veterans Day – Virtual Wall of Honor – Maria Regina High School), the Hall of Honor will place a lasting spotlight on those family members who wore the uniforms during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Global War on Terrorism, and continuing.
And because the Hall of Honor is digital, “it will be continuously updated as new Maria Regina students contribute the info and photos about their family members who served our nation and defended our freedom,” explained Principal Maria Carozza-McCaffrey (Class of ’99), noting: “This 24/7 tribute to our veterans takes Maria Regina’s Veterans Day special observances to a new level. It literally means every day will be Veterans Day at Maria Regina High School to express the deep gratitude we always have for our veterans.”
She added: “We are so proud of the hard and devoted work of our students in honoring our veterans with this living history Hall of Honor.”
The initiative began in earnest in the spring when students celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8 by honoring the school’s Greatest Generation veterans who helped achieve victory over the Axis powers. The students compiled and created an extensive array of photos and info of the veterans who served (some of whom were killed in battle) during that epic global war against tyranny that were displayed at the school and on the website.
That Greatest Generation content became the centerpiece of the newly launched Virtual Veterans Wall of Honor: (Veterans Day – Virtual Wall of Honor – Maria Regina High School),
In addition, on VE Day itself, students in the Junior History and English classes heard from invited guest speaker, Sharon Colabello, daughter of a decorated WW II veteran and noted Ardsley resident and business owner, Martin Engleman.
She spoke about her father’s service as a decorated sergeant in the U.S. Army with how it inspired her to lead the successful Military Tribute Banners initiative for the Village of Ansley and other communities. As part of Colabello’s presentation, she shared some of the letters her late father wrote home when he served during the epic battle against tyranny during World War II.
Following Colabello’s visit, the school posted this note on the website: “We’re grateful to Sharon for helping preserve the memory and values of the Greatest Generation. We thank, we remember, we honor the Greatest Generation always.” And now, thanks to the Virtual Veterans Hall of Honor, Maria Regina will thank, remember and honor all its veterans always.