Sapulpa's Freedom School honors veterans

Friday is Veterans Day, but students at Sapulpa's Freedom Elementary School celebrated on Thursday. <br/><br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Rick Wells stopped by the school for its fourth annual special

Thursday, November 10th 2005, 10:25 am

By: News On 6

Friday is Veterans Day, but students at Sapulpa's Freedom Elementary School celebrated on Thursday.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells stopped by the school for its fourth annual special assembly to honor veterans.

â€œIâ€™ll have my flag in hand to celebrate our land."

If you think this is just another flag waving Veterans Day program, well you're wrong. This is the fourth year of Freedom Elementary and its fourth Veterans Day program for Principal Nancy Turlington. It's patriotic and personal. "It's very personal for me; my father was killed in World War II in the Philippine Islands when I was 15 days old."

Her oldest son is an Army veteran and her youngest is in Iraq right now.

"This land was made for you and me."

The school has partnered with the World War II veterans of Tulsa and each year before Veteran's Day they honor them. "We are glad to be here and glad you got us to come."

Most of them come back every year, but for Thomas Adams this is his first veterans program anywhere, ever. "I feel Honored." When World War II was over he just never looked back. Adams says he thought the kids at Freedom Elementary were wonderful.

"Freedom isn't free, freedom isn't free."

Nobody knows that better perhaps than Paige Mayhew. The 6 year old's dad Sergeant First Class Steve Mayhew, left for Iraq Wednesday. "I'm gonna miss him every single day." Next Veterans Day maybe he'll be home.

"Hip hip, hurrah, Hip hip, hurrah, for Freedom Elementary.â€

That's the very least we could say.

The school has also recorded interviews with veterans and sent them to the Library of Congress, where they are now on permanent file. If you'd like to know more check out the Veterans History Project website.