HARTFORD, Wis. — Students at Hartford Union High School brought their community together for an annual Veterans Day breakfast, an event that carried special meaning for one father and daughter.
Student Grace Goodwater helped organize Wednesday's breakfast to honor her father, Eric Goodwater, who served overseas in Iran.
The event also gave him the chance to connect with other men and women who fought for their country. "I love seeing all of the veterans here happy," Grace said. "Knowing that all of their sacrifices made a difference in the world."
Eric said the day meant just as much to him.
"I think it's pretty wonderful that my daughter can appreciate what I did," Eric Goodwater said.
He added that the breakfast introduced him to veterans he never knew.
"There are always new people that you don't know," he said. "Then you're like, whoa, I didn't know that person was a veteran either!"
Guest speaker Sergeant Mike Sunga shared a message about the sacrifices parents make when they serve in the military.
"It's about every mother and father that may have missed birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, commencement ceremonies and all of the above," Sunga said. "All because their country needed them."
Veterans Jerry Dobek and Virgil Ferry felt the love and support of their community.
"It's an honor to be here," Dobek said. "I'm really thankful."
"We're happy!" Ferry said.
Student emcee Maddi Schlitt said watching veterans smile as they talked to one another made the event extra special.
"I helps bring everyone in our community together," she said, "[The event] lets the veterans tell their stories, and allows us to show our appreciation for the battles they fought to secure our freedom."
Before students handed out gifts, Mackenzie Garretson read a poem praising the men and women who made her freedom possible.
"We're so grateful for your presence and the peace you help us keep," she read. "Happy Veterans Day to someone whose devotion runs so deep."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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