Purple Star Ceremony recognizes Greenwood High School

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Students and faculty at Greenwood High School gathered in their gymnasium Thursday to be commended for their support of veterans and the families of veterans with a Purple Star Award.

The award is given to schools who actively support veterans and their families whose sacrifice is often overlooked. The ceremony featured multiple speakers and also presented an opportunity for students to see veterans in person rather than simply hearing about them elsewhere.

“It’s a great program because the students actually get to see individuals that have served and not just read about them in books. And even today, that keynote speaker, Miss Talbert, actually talked about two students that graduated from Greenwood that served,” Adam Hatcher, principal of GHS, said.

The program allowed students to hear the stories of veterans and hear about the sacrifices many have made, including a few that attended Greenwood High School.

“It’s a beautiful recognition for us because we do try to work extremely hard for the military families that we have. We have a JROTC program that is a great leadership program designed for some of those kids. And we also have other supports within the school,” Hatcher said.

For veterans like Michele Tolbert, this award serves as a reminder of the school’s support and recognition of her own personal service.

“What that tells me is that this school supports the veterans and the veterans families. Those people whose parents maybe are serving in the military. Because it’s not just the individual that’s serving. Everybody serving. Everybody suffers from their absence,” Tolbert said.

This is just one of many different celebrations of veterans in southcentral Kentucky happening this weekend. In Bowling Green, the Veterans Day Parade takes place Saturday at 10  a.m.