Vets Middle School Principal Joe Coffey made the school’s annual Veterans Day celebration all the more special this year – he brought the ceremony inside and served breakfast. It was a hit with students and veterans.

Coffey asked students to invite relatives – most chose their grandfathers – who had served in the military to attend. With the smell of scrambled eggs and fresh coffee, remarks were brief. Former Mayor and retired Supreme Court Justice Francis Flaherty, who served in the Army in Vietnam, talked about serving the country. He was invited by his granddaughter, Kelsea Flaherty, a Vets student. Mayor Frank Picozzi and Ward 1 Councilman Bill Foley joined them at their table for breakfast. As accompaniment to the table conversation, music teacher George Landrie and Jon Simmons played military selections on trumpet and trombone. Then, Landrie called on the chorus to extend the theme. They rose from those who filled the cafeteria to serenade the veterans, some waving small flags that were on the tables.

The patriotic songs would have been a perfect closer to the tribute, but Coffey had more to come. With Landrie and Simmons providing the music, the entire student population – 1,108 – paraded class by class around the cafeteria. Some blew noise makers, others carried placards with “thank you for your service” scrolled in colorful letters and still others dressed patriotically, pausing to salute or fist-bump vets who stood to greet them.

Mayor Picozzi was pulled away more than once to be pictured with a student and his or her veteran. Those who organized the event along with school department administrators and the mayor lined up for a photo to be posted on social media and the school’s website. By then, the cafeteria cleared and it was back to class with some students gratefully cleaning off the donuts and bagels that their visitors left behind.