NMH Honors Veterans in Special Ceremony Ahead of Veterans Day

Members of the Northfield Mount Hermon community gathered around the flagpole outside of the Gilder Center on Friday, Nov. 8, to honor the service of military veterans on campus and around the world ahead of the Veterans Day holiday on Monday, Nov. 11.

Despite the gusty winds that blew across central campus, the bright fall day offered a picturesque backdrop to words of gratitude shared by students, staff, and faculty.

“This is a brief homegrown gathering we hold every year to thank our community members who served,” said Charlie Tierney, associate head of school. “We’re coming together to say thank you and to say ‘We see you, we appreciate you, [and] we want to honor you for your service.”

Tierney acknowledged the work of alum Tom Baxter ’59 and science teacher Tabatha Collins ’92, both veterans themselves, for connecting with alumni who have served and organizing a recent get-together of NMH veteran alumni.

School chaplain the Rev. Lee Ellen Strawn read the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi as an invocation, followed by Tierney, who offered a brief history of Veterans Day and acknowledged the parents of students serving across the world.

Mark Yates, an NMH math teacher and a U.S. Navy veteran, offered a touching reflection on his father, an Air Force veteran who passed away in October, and remarked on the tradition of service in his family.

“I am humbled that you took time out of your day to show your respect for veterans,” Yates said. “Let's hope that one day in the distant future, there will be no need for military forces, and we can still help and serve in peace.”

Tierney then read the names of current veterans within the NMH community, after which Ron Smith, director of NMH music programs, played a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” on saxophone as the wind danced through the flag waving above the assembled crowd.

Collins said small displays of acknowledgement like this can be very meaningful to veterans, who often feel disconnected from the rest of American society. She noted that veterans suffer from high rates of suicide and mental trauma, and emphasized the impact that reaching out – even if just to say “thank you” – can have on them.

 “We have to remind ourselves that these veterans are in our communities and that they have unseen wounds sometimes,” she said. “Some people might be struggling or are in need of support. I think just the acknowledgment and letting them know they’re not forgotten and that we appreciate your sacrifices is important.”

NMH is proud to honor the following staff and faculty members for their service:

• Thomas Baxter '59, United States Army (NMH alumnus)
• William Chuch, United States Air Force, Religious Studies and Philosophy
• Asheley Cole, United States Navy, Health Services
• Tabatha Collins '92, P'21, '24, United States, Science
• Edward Doolittle P '89, United States Navy, Plant Facilities (retired)
• Levi Johnson, United States Air Force, Campus Safety
• Michael Moore, P'11 ,'14, '19, '25, United States Navy, Plant Facilities
• Andrew Thompson, United States Coast Guard, Dining Services
• Mark Yates, P'11, '13, United States Navy, Mathematics