WINDSOR, Vt. -
Silence filled the Windsor High School auditorium as the Stars and Stripes were carried in Monday.
Until the national anthem began, the school had never held a formal Veteran's Day Ceremony.
"This is what you have and there is a reason for it and people fought to give you this," said senior Ashley Gobin. Gobin said Veterans Day is a reminder of family who have served -- and her task ahead. She is enlisted in the Army and heads to basic training shortly after graduation this summer.
She was acknowledged for that Monday. "Things are happening all the time that affect our daily lives, so I think that awareness for our student body to really stay in touch and in tune with what's happening and why it's important," said Windsor Principal Michael Kell.
Kell is a retired Major in the Army. He wore his uniform as a reminder of the countless loved ones, neighbors and co-workers who have protected the country both at home and abroad. Gobin will soon be added to that list -- in a field where women are given more and more responsibility. "It makes me nervous, but I am not ashamed of it. It makes me proud," she said.
To witness the pride in this small town you don't have to look further than Main Street. A statue right downtown for all to see, that remembers veterans of all wars. "To show people that there has been a lot of wars," said Milt Ducharme, who along with Bernie Shaban, raised the money for the stature over a decade ago. They are both veterans and graduates of Windsor High.
"We send a lot of our kids off to war and a lot of them don't come back," Ducharme said.
Lawrence Nowlan made the statue. "We used different parts of different uniforms and put them together to make that piece. So if you look real closely you can see aspects of World War I and World War II and Vietnam," Nowlan said.
Back at Windsor High, Ashley Gobin, a bright, young woman, represents a new face in the armed forces. "If we didn't fight for what we believed in and everything we have right now, it wouldn't be the same," she said.
A reminder for students who will soon be sending off one of their own.
