ROTC students help sell signs to honor Veterans ahead of Veterans Day celebration

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Gabryel Cunningham, a sophomore at Benton High School, is helping organize an event selling signs to honor veterans for Veterans Day. 

Through a partnership with the City Council, the signs will be displayed along the parkway to recognize both active-duty service members and those who have previously served. 

“You can put any veteran currently serving or previously served. Veterans can buy it themselves, but mostly it’s a loved one buying it for them,” he said.  

The goal of the project goes beyond simply recognizing veterans.  

As part of the ROTC program, Cunningham and his fellow students want to give the community an opportunity to show appreciation for the veterans in their lives.  

The signs will serve as a reminder that these individuals are valued, and how their service deserves to be recognized, especially for those veterans who may not always take pride in or recognize their own service. 

Cunningham said the event is a way to begin showing appreciation for the people who have fought for the country's freedom and to recognize the sacrifices they have made.  

“It’s great because I get to sit with you and talk with you today because they fought for us but also we have a lot of veterans in St. Joseph so us non-veterans respecting and honoring what they did for us is important,” he said.  

Alexandria Penland, a junior at Benton who is also helping Cunningham organize the event, said she knows several veterans personally.  

Despite the large number of veterans in St. Joseph, she said she hasn't seen many community initiatives focused on recognizing their service. 

“So that was something that we wanted to honor because we look up to those veterans as an example leadership,” she said.  

Penland said this is the first year they have organized an event specifically dedicated to veterans. 

She also said the event means a lot to her family. Her uncle served in the Air National Guard and is a veteran, so seeing something like this happen in St. Joseph is something her family is proud of.  

“The fact that I am participating in it is just like a cherry on top for them,” she added.  

The event is being organized by the ROTC staff, which consists of about 15 to 20 people. 

Penland hopes the event will encourage people to recognize the importance of civic leadership and get more involved in their community. She pointed to voting as one example of how people can take an active role.  

“We should be looking to veterans as an example of leadership and maybe that would also influence other people to take other actions of civic initiative like voting,” she said.  

The event will take place Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. on Sparks Field. Afterward, the signs will be available for community members to purchase and personalize with names.  

Residents can then drive along the parkway to see the signs displayed throughout the week of Veterans Day.