Wilkins is speaker at Veterans Day event
B.O. Wilkins, K/393, of Houston TX, was guest speaker at a Veterans Day observance at Spring Forest Middle School, Houston. He spoke to nearly 1,000 sixth to eighth grade students and 100 veterans.
The program was announced in an article in the Houston Chronicle, which included a few quotes from Wilkins.
"His company practically wiped out at the Battle of the Bulge near the end of World War II, Byron Othello Wilkins Jr. was taken prisoner by the Germans and was in a prison camp for five months until the end of the war.
"That was 60 years ago.
"Wilkins
"Just as he observed what was then Armistice Day growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, Wilkins said it is important for young people of today to understand Veterans Day and know why they have the freedoms they have.
"'It all started with the founding of our country and the Revolutionary War,' Wilkins said. 'Ordinary citizens have given their lives for freedom in this country.'"
The program began with a breakfast, followed by performances from the student choir, orchestra, and band, readings from students, and the recognition of veterans.
