In a recent school-wide assembly that acknowledged Veterans’ Day, two DCD parents, Michelle Salfity and Chris Fuqua, shared their experiences in serving our country.
As an Army Reservist, Michelle remembers having the desire to serve since she was in high school. She had wanted to enlist at age 17, but her mother wouldn’t sign her papers. As an Army Reservist, Michelle spoke about some of the important skills she learned that help her in her job as an EMT and a coach at DCD. One of the hardest things about serving is the time you spend away from your family. Despite the fact that she had to do ten push-ups for every letter she received, she talked to the audience about how important and how happy it made her feel to be on the receiving end of these communications while serving.
Chris Fuqua, current DCD parent, attended the Naval Academy at Annapolis and served for eight years as a Navy pilot. Serving our country has been a part of his family’s legacy; both his grandfathers and father served in the Navy. The audience had an opportunity to see Chris’s flight helmet and flight suit. His eight years of service with the Navy took him to over thirty countries! Encountering dangerous situations during his time in the Navy led to some very strong bonds between him and his friends who served alongside him.
Listening to these two speakers share their service experiences gave our community some great insights into what it’s like to be a veteran, and all felt encouraged to say thank you this Veteran’s Day to veterans we may meet and know.
