The red, white, and blue were in full-swing as MV football honored our nation’s finest.

    Over 15 veterans were in attendance and were honored at the Sept. 21 Monte Vista varsity football game against the visiting Livermore Cowboys. The game took place on 36th annual of the establishment of World Peace Day, which is a day is dedicated to the efforts toward world peace.

    The event started off with the award-winning Monte Vista marching band as it performed the “Star Spangled Banner.” At halftime, all the veterans in attendance were called to the field to be recognized and honored. A thunderous two-minute applause ensued.  

    “There’s a lot of history and connections we can be gaining from our veterans,” Monte Vista Principal Dr. Kevin Ahern said. “It is really important for us to take a look at and realize that people have made sacrifices, such as the ultimate sacrifice and also by giving a part of themselves in order for the rest of us to have what we have today.”

       Monte Vista’s link to the veterans community is strong and you have to look no further than our principal to see it. Ahern has a special connection with the veterans community as his father spent more 30 years in the armed forces and one of his sons is a veteran as well. One of Ahern’s main goals in the event was to link the community, especially veterans, and high school together.

    “Being acknowledged as a veteran in front of our home fans, my players, fellow veterans and community was what made the event so special,” junior varsity football head coach Robert Rutchena said.

    Along with being the J.V. head coach, Rutchena is a marine corps veteran and Monte Vista parent. Rutchena was deployed in Egypt for four months.  He saw the event as something all veterans would be proud of.

    “It was very cool to see our veterans honored at the game,” senior Aden Shoemaker said. “As a community, we don’t honor them much anymore and it was really refreshing to see Monte Vista do it.”

    Shoemaker has a special relationship with the veterans community as his grandfather served in World War II. Ned Buchanan was a United States Marine and was one of the first men on the island of Iwo Jima in 1945. He witnessed the Raising of the Flag, but in the month that it took to take control of the island was shot 15 times, but miraculously survived. He was awarded the Purple Heart and lived until he was 80 years old.