When Carol Coffey was a little girl, she liked to pretend she was a drill sergeant.
“I made my brother and his friends crawl under the pine trees,” Coffey told students at Queensbury Elementary School.
Coffey was just one of many veterans who visited QES on Thursday, Nov. 9 for two ceremonies in honor of Veterans Day.
“There’s a whole community in each branch of the service that takes care of each other,” Coffey told students. “That’s very important.”
During the ceremonies, students dressed in red, white and blue listened to veterans talk about their time in the various branches of service. They listened to songs from all branches of the military and performed songs for the visiting veterans.
Students also had the chance to ask the veterans why they served, how long they were away from their families and what it means to be drafted. 
“Veterans Day is not just about the soldiers from long ago. It’s also about the brave heroes that protect us today,” said Jennifer O’Leary, the QES assistant principal. “Our veterans have shown great courage and sacrifice. It is an honor to be standing in the cafeteria with such a large group of heroes.”