Revere High School held its sixteenth annual Veterans Day brunch and assembly to honor the men and women who have served in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

RHS Intervention Specialist Jack Cooper has coordinated the program for 19 years. He elaborated on how he contacts veterans to invite them to the event each year.

“We have a list of veterans that regularly attend and we send out invitations to them every year . . . I have had veterans tell me that this one of their favorite days of the year because they just look forward to coming to Revere and being a part of the program. The past couple of years I have always gotten recommendations for the speakers so I have not always had to go out and search for someone to come and speak each year,” Cooper said.

Revere High School principal Phil King described the process that is done for filling the gym with the Revere students, faculty, and all of the veterans.

“We divide each job to different staff members. My responsibility is usually knowing which students to dismiss at what times and Mr. Evans works with the veterans to get them into the gym at the right time. [Cooper] is essential in making sure he gets everyone here and advertises and makes sure that everything runs smoothly. It’s really a team effort,” King said.

Ninth grade English teacher Patrick DiCaprio presented the symbol representing those soldiers who were missing in action or prisoners of war. He elaborated on how he felt about doing this for the first time this year.

“It was an honor for me to be chosen to say it and it was a great experience and I even emailed [Cooper] afterward to thank him for giving me that opportunity. I was grateful to be up there to speak,” DiCaprio said.

This year’s keynote speaker was United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Shawn McKee. He described what his speech to the student body and faculty was about.

“My presentation [was] about brotherhood and how the brotherhood that gets developed in the military can be developed in a school and community and lead to great things,” McKee said.

McKee mentioned why he decided to choose brotherhood as his main topic for his presentation.

“I think the term brotherhood sums up that concept of caring and getting dirty which I think is a fundamental leadership quality needed to make meaningful change in people’s lives. It relates what people on sports teams, bands, the play and clubs feel to what veterans feel for each other,” McKee said.

Cooper described what his goal is with doing this assembly every year at the high school.

“My goal is that [students] will develop a greater appreciation for the freedoms that you take for granted every day. We have so many things to be thankful for and we just assume that it is always there and that it has always been there and no one had to shed blood for it,” Cooper said.

Revere plans to continue this assembly every year to honor each and every veteran that has served through the Armed Forces.