Local Veterans Teach South Brunswick Kids About Service and Sacrifice (VIDEO)

In the modern era, kids are able to play video games that recreate infamous battles in the history of warfare, from the Allied Forces storming the beaches at Normandy to the 101st Airborne Division's heroic stand at Bastonge during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. 

However, the reality of the horrors of war and the sacrifice of the men and women who defend our country isn't exactly captured by pressing buttons on a controller. During an assembly for fifth-graders at  on Tuesday, five local veterans of the Armed Forces spoke with students during an assembly program that put real faces and people with the events depicted in video games and on the History Channel.

"In the past the kids have written letters to the veterans home in Edison, so we wanted to try something on a bigger scale," said fifth-grade teacher Glenn Ferraris. "We want the kids to realize that everyday people, friends and neighbors, have served and sacrificed for our country. We want the kids to have a better understanding of what it means to be a veteran."

Each of the speakers during the program had ties to the school, from staff members to those with relatives and friends teaching at Brooks Crossing.

"I hope the kids understand and talk about the things we discuss here today," said Brooks Crossing custodian Lemuel Harris, 63, of Dayton, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War. "If anything, I hope they realize how important life is and they don't take it for granted."

Kendall Park resident Steven Josephson, 22, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, was invited to speak by his mother, who student teaches at Brooks Crossing. After speaking to the students about the work he did on helicopters, Josephson said he hoped to broaden the horizons of the kids and help them see the world beyond South Brunswick.

"I want the kids to take away some general respect for what they have themselves and see how lucky they are," Josephson said. "I think they'll get an idea of what's going on in the world and not just inside their school walls."

When asked by the students about the kinds of weapons they used during their service, 33-year-old Sayreville resident Mike Bloom, an Army veteran who served in Kosovo, told the students he used a SAW (M249 Squad Automatic Weapon) and a rocket launcher. The students expressed excited ooh’s and aah’s, to which Bloom laughed.

"I guess everyone here plays (video game) 'Call of Duty' huh?" Bloom said.

The vague knowledge of war provided by video games is something Ferraris said inspired the school to bring in real life veterans to speak about age-appropriate realities of war.

"They know a little bit from their video games, but in real life there are no checkpoints where you can save your game and there are no energy packs lying on the floor," Ferraris said.

Bloom would go on to talk about some of his time in Kosovo, helping to escort children to and from school each day to ensure they arrived safely.

"Helping kids is something I take a lot of pride in," Bloom told the students. "They didn't have things like running water. I gave one kid my shoes when I left because their family only had one pair of shoes that they had to share."

Speaker Larry Hardy, of Belvider, served in the Marines during the Vietnam War and told the children about the Purple Heart Medal he received during the war. He spoke more fondly about his time stationed on Hawaii for a short period.

"If you're going to guard the shores of the United States of America, Hawaii is a wonderful place to do it from," Hardy said.

At the conclusion of the program, Bloom said he hoped the students learn to appreciate the sacrifices made by everyday people in defense of the country.

"We all take great pride in our service because it's something selfless that you do for others," he said. "I hope they see that sense of pride and appreciate what the military does."