Teresa Tellekamp - Winner of the 2011 VFW Voice of Democracy Essay Competition

2011 VFW Voice of Democracy Essay Competition

Essay Theme:    Is There Pride in Serving in Our  Military?

Teresa Tellekamp

Hauppague High School

A current of energy and excitement surged through the people lining the streets. I clutched my father’s hand and peered between the tree trunks of legs, trying to see what was coming from down the road. The clapping and cheering all around me amplified as cymbals crashed together. Then I heard what sounded like heavy rain beating down on a tin roof. The consistent rolling of sticks against the snare drums created a crisp, high-pitched sound that cut through the noise all around me. Mallets swung into the sides of the bass drums, and the steady rhythm reverberated against the brick walls of the apartment buildings. Through the gaps between the bodies huddled together, I could make out hundreds of stiff navy-blue legs, all marching as one.

Suddenly I felt two hands lift me high above the sea of people and onto a pair of familiar shoulders. I gasped and my eyes grew wide as they fell upon the men and women of the Marine Corps Marching Band. The silver trumpets held high in the air gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, and with every step, the shiny black boots struck the pavement all at once.

I was overwhelmed with an emotion I had never felt before. Now I can understand how the Marines maintained such composure, such diligence, and how they garnered such tremendous respect from the crowd. They marched together, united by one genuine, impenetrable feeling: pride.

            Although times and interests have changed, the pride in the United States military still remains the same admirable quality that contributes to everyday acts of heroism overseas and define our nation as the greatest in the world.

            “Pride as a soldier involves the saving of lives and the return for the fallen on the field of battle, even at the risk of one’s own life” said Barry Shatoff, a Vietnam War veteran. “Being a proud soldier means no other American soldier is ever left on the battle field.”

Shatoff sees pride displayed in the military in the way soldiers present themselves, how they support one another, and how they conduct themselves on and off the battlefield. That pride enables soldiers to fight terrorists and keep them from disrupting the way of life at home that is so often taken for granted.

“Soldiers reflect all that is good and wonderful in a strong and healthy nation,” Shatoff remarked.

“Pride is something that is deep inside each person. You can’t touch it or taste it, but you can feel it,” said Mario Yanneta, a combat veteran in Panama in 1989 and Iraq Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-91. “I feel proud to have served and represented my country around the world with honor and respect, as I was taught by the veterans before me.”

            Yannetta’s oldest son, Jimmy, followed his father’s footsteps. Jimmy is now a Marine combat veteran of Afghanistan, and shares the same pride and respect his father feels for this great country and for the armed forces.

            This year, like every year, I will march with my high school band for a local Memorial Day parade. We play the theme songs of each branch of the military. My favorite part about the parade is marching past war veterans who recognize their song and stand at attention with their hands over their hearts or against their forehead in a firm salute. That is pride in one’s country. That is pride in serving for the greater good of all Americans. That is pride, knowing they have won freedom and the right to pursue happiness for their fellow citizens.

            Last year, I noticed a young girl sitting on her grandfather’s lap. As my marching band halted in front of him, I noticed the man dab a tissue at the corners of his eyes. He sang along to the Army theme song loud and clear, and bounced his granddaughter up and down on his knee.

            The parade ended, and we boarded buses that brought us back to our high school. As I sat on the bus, I stared out my window and thought about that man and his granddaughter. I wondered if that little girl, while she watched me play my trumpet and tapped her feet to the beat of the drums, felt that same deep, indescribable emotion that I felt years ago when I was her age. I wondered if she understood what that feeling was, or why her grandpa was crying and singing at the same time.

            Someday she will. She will understand that the pride her grandfather possesses for the United States carried him through war and molded him into a role model for others to follow. Pride in the military is the determination to protect all with honor, valor, and love for one’s country and fellow man. The immense pride that existed and continues to live on in our military from yesterday and today is what sets the United States apart and lays the foundation for a safer, freer, tomorrow for all. 

Giffords’ office urges supercommittee to give Congress a pay cut

Reprint of Washington Post Article by Beth Marlowe 11/18/2011

In a letter to the debt-reduction supercommittee organized by Giffords’ Washington office, 25 lawmakers urged the supercommittee to cut lawmakers’ salaries to reduce the federal deficit.

The letter, sent Thursday and signed by 11 Republicans and 14 Democrats, said a paycut would be a “commonsense” way to cut the required $1.5 trillion from the federal budget, as well as “a powerful message to the American people that Congress should not be exempt from the sacrifices it will take to balance the budget.”

Slashing lawmaker salaries was one of the last major issues Giffords advocated before she was shot in the head at a January 2011 constituent event. Only days before the shooting, Giffords had proposed legislation to cut the salaries of senators and representatives by five percent.

“Members of Congress can’t ask any American to cut back before we are willing to make some sacrifices of our own,” Giffords said at the time.

The five percent pay cut that Giffords advocated would add up to $50 million in savings over ten years, according to Thursday’s letter, which also notes that U.S. lawmakesr receive salaries that are 3.4 times higher than the average full-time wage for an American worker.

Reps. Dave Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) joined Giffords office in leading the effort to write and gather signatures for the letter, Politico reported.

Giffords gave her first public interview since the shooting to ABC’s Diane Sawyer Monday night, just before teh release of the couple’s new book, “Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope.”

Read the complete letter here.

By Beth Marlowe  |  03:08 PM ET, 11/18/2011 

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Ed Ehmann - Smithtown School District Superintendent

By Philly Bubaris

(Philly is a former student of the Smithtown School District)

Ed Ehmann photo by smithtownradio.comSitting at his desk, looking at his stained glass windows and bookshelves filled with old yearbooks, Superintendent Ed Ehmann can’t help but remember being 16, walking through the halls of Smithtown schools with a mop and broom as a custodian in 1965.

“Not too many people stay in the same district their whole lives, for me it was just basically a coincidence,” Ehmann said. After attending college and serving in the army for two years, he started working in Smithtown again as a substitute teacher.

He climbed the ladder from a substitute teacher, to middle school and high school principal for nine years, and then to superintendent of schools. He now resides in the central office where he runs the district with 11,000 students in nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. Last month, at age 62, after working in Smithtown for 37 years, Ehmann announced his retirement.

Ehmann has worked with students of all ages throughout his career. Of all the roles he has had, being superintendent has given him the most opportunity to put programs in motion for the entire district, but he misses daily contact with students.

“The more removed you get from kids, the harder it is to feel like you are in education rather than business,” he said.

After graduating from St. Anthony’s high school, Ehmann majored in English and minored in education at Dowling College.  He readily admits that the only reason he wanted to go to college was to play basketball. “I think in college I wasn’t really that super serious as a student,” he said. “I was more of a basketball player who was going to college.”

After college, he was drafted into the army, which gave him the opportunity to read hundreds of books, his favorite being To Kill a Mocking Bird. “It was there [in the service] that I really stepped up my intellectual pursuit of knowledge,” Ehmann said.

When he returned after two years of serving as a military policeman, he became a substitute teacher at Great Hollow Middle School, and the rest is history.

He married his wife Susan in 1976.  They have two children, Marissa and Michael, both in their late 20s. No grandchildren yet, but he says he is looking forward to the day. His wife, Susan, ended up in the district as a reading teacher at St. James Elementary. “She is a very talented reading teacher who has written some highly successful books,” Ehmann said of his wife. 

Ironically, Ehmann’s children didn’t go to Smithtown School District because he is a resident of Stony Brook and has been for 30 years.

Bob Rossi, past president of the board of education, was on the committee that chose Ehmann as the superintendent five years ago. He said Ehmann’s concern for the district is tremendous, even though he isn’t a Smithtown resident. “He has a love and compassion for the district that is very hard to find,” said Rossi of Ehmann. “He cares for the community, the students, and all the employees.” He said Ehmann knew how Smithtown operated, so when he was hired, the district continued to run without any lag time.

So, what does a man who has spent 37 years as an educator do next? For now, he wants to take a few months off to enjoy retired life. He loves to travel and explore in historical places. Sports have always been a big part of his life. In 1981, he coached the girls’ varsity tennis team for ten years, along with the girls’ basketball team and boys’ junior varsity team. So, he is looking forward to getting back to tennis and biking.

In 1975, he rode cross-country on his bike, and maybe now he will have time to do it again. “I don’t know if I am up for a cross country trip…” Ehmann said with a chuckle. “But I will be back on the bike.”

He is looking to do work without compensation and give back to the community. “There are kids who are sitting in hospitals right now, bored out of their minds,” he said. He wants to read to kids and help them understand the importance of receiving an education. Ed Ehmann with Accompset Students

Gladys Waldron, current president of the school board, has been on the board for 34 years. She has worked with Ehmann closely for the last five years, he was the high school principal when her kids were in school, their relationship goes back to the beginning of Ehmann’s career.

 “He has a great sense of humor, he is very articulate,” she said. “He knows our Smithtown community.”

She said the last couple of years have been difficult because of the major problems within the district. But, she said overall, Ehmann has done a great job for the board and the district.

As they look for someone to fill his position, Waldron says she is concerned.n“There is a concern looking for someone who will fit the bill, you are always worried about that,” she said.

According to Waldron, Ehmann’s institutional knowledge of the school district was very helpful to board members and made him a great asset.

But Ehmann still has eight full months left as superintendent, so he isn’t checking out quite yet.  He says there is still work to be done and is confident that all the work that is happening within the district now will continue to happen without him.

“It is not about who is the superintendent, it is about who are the teachers and who are the students,” he said.

He said he isn’t in reflective mode, but he believes that his career was perfectly scripted. “First and foremost I consider myself a teacher,” he said. “And that is what I truly believe.”

Ladybugs, Raccoons and Lyndah Ray

By Stephanie Healion

Lyndah Ray reading her first book “Ladybugs 3” to the kids in front of the fireplace at Starbucks.On Sunday, November 13^th, local Smithtown author Lyndah Ray held a reading and book signing at Starbucks on Main Street.  The kids sat on couches and a special carpet. Some kids drank hot chocolate and ate lollipops while enjoying Ray reading her book, “Lady Bugs 3”.  There were ladybug-coloring pages available for the kids to color however they wanted.  Some children autographed their artwork that was then hung on the walls of Starbucks.  Each child who purchased a book had it autographed by Ray.

After Ray read “Lady Bugs 3”, she did a reading of her new book, Raccoon Cub Sparkey, which had just been released. During the reading, the children offered up their own knowledge of raccoons.  Four-year old Jackson announced, “Raccoons also eat fish along with going through the garbage.”  Jackson’s older brother, Brady, informed everyone that “raccoons wake up at night and sleep during the day.”

Sparkey, with the book inspired by an actual raccoon.“Raccoon Cub Sparkey” is based on an actual raccoon named Sparkey that Ray became familiar with during her work as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.  Ray has a special place in her heart for raccoons, believing that they are greatly misunderstood too often seen as scary menaces that come out at night and peruse garbage pails.

“They’re a little startling because we’re unfamiliar with them since they are nocturnal and we don’t see them during the day.  You don’t see them quite as frequently as you would see a squirrel, but you’ll see them more now because more buildings are going up and all that.”  Ray has had up to 175 raccoons in rehabilitation at one time.  She eventually released them in groups at locations approved by the NYSDEC.

Ray is a seasoned actress, currently appearing on the show Louie CK on FX.  “Lady Bugs 3”, her first book, was released in December of 2005.  “I’ve believed in children’s literature even as a child.  Children come from a genuine space, they learn and they’re easier to teach.  So I share things with them that I know of the planet and nature. Because they are the future of our planet. The future of the planet is in their hands, that’s why I tell them to love our planet Earth, and all creatures large and small.  Anything from a bug to a raccoon to an elephant.  Everything has its place.”Lyndah Ray reading with Lauren Modzelewski, 9, of Smithtown

As for any future endeavors, Ray has one or two ideas in the works.  “Right now I’m considering writing a line of children’s chapter books.  Something I’m tossing around is Johnny Ripper, and if it’s green he won’t eat it.  He has all these ideas, about hiding his peas under his mashed potatoes.  I’m working on him.  There’s another one about a dog that came out of a pound, he was in the pound for a while and he was sad and now he’s in a happy family.  Those are just some things.”

Ray is not only the author; she also illustrated the book with a little help from her mother.  The book is filled with rich colors, each page standing out from the last.  “I did all the illustrations in pen and ink.  I got sick and was in bed, and my mother came and painted it in.  Between the two of us we did it.  I dedicated this to my mother, S. Ray.  So it’s by L. Ray and S. Ray.”

Raccoon Cub Sparkey will be released on Amazon.com in 30 days.  For now, orders can be made at www.xlibris.com.  Lady Bugs 3 can also be found on Amazon.  Between the raccoons and the ladybugs, there was plenty of fun and learning for everyone.

Honoring Our Veterans

by Stephanie Healion

Nick Albanese at 2010 Memorial Day Parade
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

Every year, November 11^th is a day we dedicate to the honor and memory of those who have served our country.  Veterans Day, then known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a legal holiday in 1938 to honor those who fought in World War I.  Today, we honor the men and women that fight for our country, serve our country, protect our country, and allow us the freedoms we enjoy every day.

This year on Veterans Day, the Veterans Plaza in Smithtown will be the venue for a Veterans Day Ceremony.  During this ceremony, there will be a dedication of the waterfall in Veteran’s Plaza to a veteran who not only served our country, but has worked tirelessly over the years with other veterans, Nicholas Albanese.

Nick Albanese, who passed away just recently, was not only a proud veteran of the Korean War, serving in the Marines for four years, but the Commander of the Smithtown American Legion Hall for over 20 years.  His son, Nick Albanese Jr., fondly remembers his father as a hardworking man, dedicated to his country and the veterans.  

“He was very proud to be a Marine and serve our country.  He cared so much about the seniors too.  He was at that Hall seven days a week, and he never wanted a thank you.  He was always strong with the military.  Instead of going to college with a football scholarship, he joined the Marines.”

The waterfall in Veterans Plaza was donated by the Smithtown American Legion in 2010.  The dedication of the waterfall is an honor pressed upon Albanese, his son saying that he neither wanted it nor expected it.  “He set it up, he got the politicians to okay it, and he was involved from start to finish.  When I went to him and told him that they were going to name it after him, he said “Why are they going to do that?  It’s for everyone, don’t name it after me.”  But the American Legion insisted, and went to the politicians with it and got the okay, and when we told him that it would always be there and that his kids and grandkids would see it, he finally got it and was okay with it.”

Tom Mooney, a service officer in the Smithtown American Legion and the Master of Ceremonies in Friday’s ceremony, believes that it’s important for the community to support their veterans.  “There is pride in being a veteran.  Personally, I feel a sense of obligation to the community and to the other veterans.  We try to make it easy for the community to help.  On Friday we will be selling phone cards to send over to the troops.  It’s important for the community to get involved, help or make a donation.”

A veteran of the Vietnam War, having served two years in the army, Mooney understands full well what it means to be a veteran.  “There’s camaraderie among veterans.  We know what they went through, how they feel, and we try to help them.  At Christmas we are going over to Northport Hospital to give a Christmas meal to the homeless veterans at the shelter there.  We try to help in any way we can.”

Veteran’s Day was created to honor all those who have served our country, whether it be home or away, in the army, navy, marines or air force.  Find a way to get involved, to donate time, money, food or goods to those serving who need them.  On November 11, please remember to keep these men and women in your thoughts, your prayers and your hearts, not just on this day but every day.