Two local veterans inspired students at Salisbury Elementary School with stories of their service during a Veterans Day assembly held on Nov. 12.

After hearing about the history of Veterans Day and the various branches of the military from Elena Germaine, grade six learning facilitator, the students were addressed by Pequea Valley High School graduate Cpl. Nolan Kauffman, a member of the United States Marine Corps, from Okinawa, Japan, via a videotaped message.

Germaine introduced Nolan, the son of school secretary Valerie Kauffman, and provided a biography.

Nolan graduated in 2021 and enlisted two months after graduation. After completing basic training, he became a Marine on Veterans Day 2021. He was selected to attend a Marines Security Guard (MSG) program in Quantico, Va. "The program is one of the most difficult ones in the Marine Corps that prepares Marines to serve as embassy guards all over the world," said Germaine.

Nolan graduated from the MSG program in May of 2022 and was assigned to the embassy in Madrid, Spain. "One year later, Nolan had the opportunity to meet the President of the United States, two First Ladies and many other important military and government officials and even a few famous entertainers," noted Germaine.

Nolan was supplied with students' questions prior to the assembly. The first question asked about his decision to join the Marines. "I was always drawn to military service when I was younger," he shared. "I wanted to do something to benefit my country and to make a difference in people's lives."

He quoted John F. Kennedy, who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." "That is something that stuck with me, and that really resonated with me. It was one of the reasons I joined the military," he stated.

Another student asked about living conditions. "Normally, I stay in a barracks room with a roommate. We eat at a cafeteria like you do," he noted. "When we are out training, we sleep outside for a week or two weeks and we don't have access to our cafeteria, so we eat an MRE - Meal Ready to Eat. This one is chili macaroni," he said, displaying the meal. "It has all the calories we need but in a small package."

He added that it is hard to be away from family, but he is able to stay in touch with them through video calls. He also pointed out the bonds he has made with fellow Marines. "It is very special in that you spend a lot of time together and do a lot of training together, and it builds a very special bond. The friends I made in the military will stay my friends for life."

"You stay a Marine for life," he added. "Even when you finish your time, it stays with you. This is something all Marines and veterans are very proud of."

Speaking in person at the assembly was Pete Wise, an E-4 sergeant in the United States Air Force. "I was in the Air Force for four years long before you were born, from 1987 to 1991," he told the students. "My job in the Air Force was administrative specialist, so I spent most of my time in an office. I primarily managed a big library of forms and publications and regulations that other people in the Air Force needed to access to do their jobs."

In his final year of service, he was part of Operation Desert Storm. "(Desert Storm) took place in the Middle East. It began when the country of Iraqi invaded the country of Kuwait to try to take their oil reserves," Wise explained. "I ended up going to the United Arab Emirates. I landed there in late August 1990, and I was there seven months to the day."

There, his job duties shifted. "When I was in Desert Storm, I did not do any administrative work that I did stateside. I was with a squadron called the Seventh Mobile Area Force Squadron, or Seventh MAC," he said. "Our job was to load and unload cargo planes with cargo and with people - to keep those planes moving and keeping those service members moving where they needed to go. Our squadron also packed parachutes for cargo packages that fell out of the sky to land safely on the ground."

In response to a student question, he said he learned a great deal while serving in the military. "It was a great honor to not only serve in the Air Force, but in Desert Storm. It was a great experience, and if I had to do it over again, I would certainly do it again."

"You (students) are the reason people sign up for the military - to protect you, defend the homeland and protect our way of life here in the United States," he added.