Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) and seniors honored local veterans yesterday during the 20th annual Veterans Day assembly, learning firsthand about leadership and civic responsibility. The event provided the audience an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made by service members while engaging in a student-led ceremony.

Principal Charles Park opened the assembly by speaking about the purpose of the event and why the school has a dedicated assembly for Veterans Day. He encouraged students to approach the day with attention and respect, framing the assembly as an opportunity to gain perspective on service.

“It’s important for our students to take time to recognize those that

served and sacrificed their freedoms. I think they did a fantastic job organizing the event,” Park said.

Park later commented on how the seniors engaged throughout the presentations, noting how their focus reflected the seriousness of the occasion.

“It was wonderful to see the respect and honor our students showed today,” Park said.

Retired Air Force Capt. Jesus Acuna-Perez spoke to students about the broader meaning of Veterans Day, framing the assembly as both a commemoration and a lesson of leadership. He emphasized that much preparation by the cadets went into planning the assembly, and how crucial it is in honoring the veterans with sincerity.

“This is a day where all Americans need to remember the sacrifices being made by the men and women in uniform. War is ugly, there are sacrifices that have to be made. And so freedom is not free. Being away from family and being under certain conditions in combat, they do something to you,” Acuna-Perez said.

In addition to speaking on the lessons behind the assembly, he described the weeks of preparation that cadets put into the ceremony and illustrated the commitment required to execute an event with precision and respect.

“Our cadets have been preparing for this ceremony for weeks. The week leading up to it, you’re talking 12-plus hours, from early morning to late nights. Everything you see set up, everybody shares all the tarps, everything is done by the cadets,” Acuna-Perez said.

After the ceremony concluded, Perez explained the goal of the assembly was to give students a clearer picture of the realities behind military service.

“My hope is that students walk away with an understanding that freedom comes at a cost, and it’s because of our veterans that we can enjoy the lives we have today,” Acuna-Perez said.

His reflections echoed the perspective of West Covina District Board Member and army veteran Michael Flowers, drawing from personal service, spoke about the responsibility that communities have in preserving the meaning of the holiday.

“They gave their all for us. So what we do is go out to speak for them. It means so much to them that others get to recognize us for going out and you know, doing what we got to do to serve our country,” Flowers said.

Flowers’ reflections on remembrance and responsibility echoed the theme of the annual assembly, honoring all veterans.

The focus of the program then shifted from reflections into one symbolic element of the ceremony: the prisoner of war/missing in action (POW/MIA) table, set up to honor U.S. service members who were prisoners of war or missing in action, led by Vice Core Commander James Pham, and explained by sophomore and second year cadet Vanessa De Los Santos.

While minimalistic in appearance, the table served as a reminder of the

soldiers who never returned home, embodying the sacrifices Flowers described. Its presence grounded the assembly in a deeper understanding of the loss and the unfinished stories.

“As we gather here today to enjoy our ceremony, in this safe and secure setting let us be ever mindful of our American servicemen and women — our heroes, the ones who can’t partake in this or any other festivity. They answer our nation’s call, deploy to remote parts of the world, selflessly serve and sacrifice more than birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries. Sometimes they sacrifice it all,” De Los Santos said.

The auditorium remained silent as cadets placed the hats of each service branch onto an empty plate. Each movement was slow and intentional, mirroring the emotional weight De Los Santos described.

“As we look upon the empty table, do not remember ghosts from the past — remember our comrades. Remember those who we depended on in battle, as they depend on us to bring them home. Remember our nation’s heroes. They are the ones we love — the ones who love life and freedom as much as we do. They will remember what we do. Please honor and remember them,” De Los Santos said.

As the symbolism of the POW/MIA table settled, the ceremony shifted towards the guest speaker,
veteran Sergeant Carlos Perez, accompanied by his wife Jennie Perez, who addressed the audience to share personal reflections on military service or family sacrifice. Carlos Perez spoke about the lessons learned from living in a household shaped by military service and the importance of carrying those

values forward.

“Having a veteran in the family means understanding sacrifice,” Carlos Perez said. Jennie Perez added perspective on raising a family that recognizes and respects the contributions of veterans, emphasizing the human side of service.

“We were raised to always remember the people who served before us,” Jennie Perez said.

Iterating the point Flowers made, Carlos highlighted the deeper significance of Veterans Day as a moment for reflection rather than a routine holiday.

“Veterans Day is not just a holiday – it’s a reminder,” Carlos Perez said.

The Perezs’ words emphasized the personal lessons learned by families who have members in service. Their reflections created a space for those in attendance to consider the broader impact of military service on communities, families, and individuals, and invited those in attendance to pause and think about how the sacrifices of veterans extend beyond the battlefield and in times of war, touching everyday lives in ways that are often invisible to civilian families.

As the assembly came to an end, the seniors rose in a final moment of recognition. Though brief in time, the program, underscored that idea that

honoring veterans is not limited to a single day, but is rather an ongoing moral duty to remember those whose service makes everyday life and luxuries, often taken for granted, possible.