Hastings and Jones middle schools marked Veterans Day by hosting programs in which students interacted with military personnel of different generations.

Hastings' program, held Nov. 11, began with a morning ceremony in the school's auditorium. The event included a moment of silence for the recent Ft. Hood incident and for all of those who have given their lives in the line of duty.

"That's what Veterans Day is all about," said Bill Richards, a Hastings history teacher and Vietnam Veteran who organizes the program each year. "It's about remembering those who served and never came home."

Speaking on behalf of military families was Jack Craft, whose father Paul Craft is a colonel in the Army National Guard as well as executive director of business services for the Upper Arlington City Schools. Craft is currently on leave from his position with the district for a year-long mission commanding air defenses in Washington, D.C.

Jack Craft, a Hastings alumnus and Upper Arlington High School senior, spoke about how he and his mother, Laura, and sister Kelly, a Hastings sixth grader, adjust to his father's absences in service to the country.

"He can be gone for as little as a few days at a time, but it can be as long as a few weeks, a month, or even a year," Jack Craft said. "This is one way that families serve, by having a family member gone for extended periods of time."

Jones Middle School observed Veterans Day with a Nov. 13 program that brought together students and military personnel to get to know each other over lunch in the school's gym. As they shared a meal with the students, veterans and current military personnel offered memories and described their work with the students.

"It's a good opportunity to talk to them about our experiences with them," said Army Capt. Doug Hoyt, a Jones alumnus who is now an ROTC instructor at Ohio State University. "It's a good history lesson. There's a lot of older veterans here."

Jones eighth-grader Hannah Johnston said she learned things about the armed forces that she didn't know before through her conversation with Hoyt.

Johnston said she was interested to learn about "the weapons that they use and the different types of assignments that they have."

The Hastings program also brought the military personnel and students together to share experiences over a meal. After the opening ceremony, the veterans and students broke into small groups and ate breakfast together.

"It's good that we have days like this to honor those who have given so much," said Mike Bivens, a Marine who participated in Hastings' program.

Hastings eighth-grader Madison McNeil, who was paired with Bivens for the day, said the program gave her insight into the contributions that service men and women make.

"I'm learning that every single day, people in the armed forces make sacrifices so we can enjoy freedom," McNeil said. "I think it's great that we have this program. It's showing them how much we appreciate them."