|
|
|
Harding Middle School Memorial For Sgt Travis Pfister.
May 12, 2007
|
| The following is the complete program presented by Harding Middle School Leadership Council. The entire program was written and presented by these remarkable young people. |
Deb Hess-Teacher |
"Good morning and thank-you for coming to Harding Middle School’s Student Leadership memorial ceremony for our fallen adopted soldier, Sgt. Travis Pfister. I would like to begin the program by introducing some very special guests who came from all over the United States to be here today.
Please rise as I call your name to accept our appreciation for being here today. Please remain standing until we have recognized everyone." |
Staff Sgt. Jessica Pfister, Travis’s wife
Mrs. Lorrie Tallett, Travis’s mother
Sgt. Brian Dinning, a Purple Fox who served with Travis
Sgt. Paul Wood, a Purple Fox who served with Travis and his mother Jane Wood
Corporal William Van Sickle, a Purple Fox who served with Travis
Lance Corporal Roland Van Buelow, a Purple Fox who served with Travis
Cindy Tefft, the mother of David Tefft, our first Adopted Soldier
Rena Smith, the mother of Lance Corporal A.J. Smith, one of our Adopted Purple Foxes
Steve and Vicki Ohde, parents of AJ Ohde, one of our Adopted Soldiers
And Vicki Wages, web master of the Purple Foxes Support group, the Purple Foxy Ladies
Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance |
|
Allison Explaining the Adopt a Soldier program
|
|
"Two years ago, I remember sitting in Mrs. Hess’s science room during one of our Student Leadership meetings. We were trying to come up with a way to help support the men and women serving at war. So Harding Student Leadership developed a program, known to us as Adopt a Soldier, to email and send care packages to soldiers. The care packages are full of, well, the good junk food we enjoy regularly. Candies, cookies, beef jerky; you name it, we send it, until we found out just how hot it was over there and had to cut out the chocolate. Basically, though, we try to send them whatever they ask for. |
Our first adopted soldier was David Tefft, who we adopted in February of 2005. Because we had such a good experience, we decided to continue the Adopt a Soldier program, particularly with the Purple Foxes. The HMM-364 Purple Foxes is a marine medium helicopter squadron that was first established during the Vietnam War. When we heard that the Purple Foxes were being deployed, we contacted Vicki Wages and asked for more soldiers to write and send care packages to. And sure enough, she got back to us with names.
Since than, the program has really taken off. As of now, we have adopted 11 service men and women from all branches of the US military. This program has truly been a great learning experience for all of us and it provides us with the perfect opportunity to give back to the men and women who are fighting at war to defend our freedom.
Today we would like to honor and celebrate one of those soldiers who gave his life for the betterment of our country. This man is Sgt. Travis Pfister.
Harding Student Leadership adopted Sgt. Travis Pfister last fall. And it didn’t take long before we knew just how great he was. Every time we emailed him, he was quick to reply. Often times, his responses provided us with detailed information about himself, his life in Iraq, the Iraqis, and his humorous comments to go along with whatever subject he was talking about. Each email from Travis provided fascinating insight to a war that seemed so foreign to us all.
Over the months, we saved his emails. And now we would like to share a few excerpts. "
|
|
Emily Sharing Travis' Background
|
|
"On the outside, he was just like any other person, went to school and had siblings. Deep down inside though, this “normal” person is much more than that. Travis Pfister is an inspiring, courageous, caring man that’s made each individual here stronger in one way or another.
He grew up in Richland, Washington and went to school at Hanford high School. Travis was captain of the varsity football and wrestling teams both his Junior and Senior years. After school, Travis enlisted in the Marine Corps, attended trainings, and arrived at Unit HMM-364. As one year passed, he met
|
Jessica, later to be known as Mrs. Pfister. Sgt. Pfister could never fully detach himself from the Marines. After his first tour to Iraq, he took a year and a half leave, in which he worked for Boeing, working on the same type of helicopters he flew in Iraq. Travis was finishing his third tour to Iraq.
He stated, “I love what I do… and the major part of being a Marine is taking care of your fellow Marines. The best part of my job has got to be that we are able to give people a better chance at living…"
Sgt. Pfister never had anything bad to say. In conversations, he always started humorous and then turned the spotlight on gratitude towards others. One example, he shared with us is, “My 2007 New Years Resolution is to never take for granted the people that care about me.” He was always so positive. If the dinners didn’t always look like dinner, he would joke about it calling it mystery meat. Travis was never negative, just funny.
I’ve personally never met Travis, but he seems like an easy-going, happy go-lucky man full of personality. He cares so much for everybody. For if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have fought for the freedom of the United States. We don’t realize how much courage, bravery, and strength is needed to posses in such a life threatening job. He was a crew chief on helicopters, essentially a flight mechanic. He said, “I fix them, fly them, and shoot guns out of them.”
Whether he was in the air or on the ground, he was still Travis Pfister, son, husband, brother, and Harding Middle School adopted Soldier. " |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
