Attendees of the 2023 Brookfield FFA Veterans Day assembly and breakfast with the Brookfield FFA members who worked the event.
Every November, the Brookfield FFA Chapter in Missouri invites all veterans, as well as active service men and women, to their school for a Veterans Day breakfast and assembly. FFA members arrive at school early in the morning to prepare a free breakfast for the veterans, which is followed by a district-wide assembly.
Brookfield FFA members prepare for this event for months with lots of excitement and enthusiasm.
“Our Veterans Day breakfast and assembly is a highlight of our fall semester, as it allows us to build relationships with those who fought to keep our communities and country free so we can participate in FFA,” says Brookfield FFA President Braxton Switzer. “We love cooking them breakfast and escorting them into our recognition assembly because these men and women sacrificed so much and are the backbone of our communities.”
This shows the impact the assembly not only has on the ones being honored but also the students who get to participate in it.
Personal Connections
During the assembly, FFA members have the opportunity to escort multiple veterans to their reserved seats at the center of the gymnasium. After all veterans are escorted, the school band and choir show their special talents in honor of the veterans. A slideshow created by Brookfield High School staff members is then displayed to show students’ close relatives who have served our country in the armed forces. Lastly, Brookfield FFA invites a guest speaker to share their experiences in a branch of the military, hoping others will understand the sacrifices that veterans have made for every American.
Veteran Joel Magnuson spoke at the 2023 Veterans Day assembly. Magnuson served in the U.S. Army before becoming a math teacher at Brookfield High School and is a supporter of agriculture in Missouri.
“The Veterans Day assembly that [Brookfield High School] puts on every year is important and humbling,” Magnuson says. “It allows the students to see and hear about stories and experiences that veterans around the area have had in the military. The students realize that many people from all walks of life have given a part of their life to keep our freedoms that we enjoy in our country while some people gave all. The assembly is well done, organized and respectful to those who served. I think this event leaves everyone involved with a more thankful and grateful heart — thankful for the people who served and thankful for the great country that we get to live in.”
Brookfield High School teacher and veteran Joel Magnuson delivers his speech at the 2023 Veterans Day assembly.
Robert Jobson, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, attended the 2023 assembly and breakfast. When reflecting on the event, he said, “I really appreciated the hard work that the FFA members did to put the breakfast and assembly on. It meant a lot to me, and I feel in today’s world, some young adults don’t even know what a veteran is or what they went through to become one. The whole program was astonishing.”
Brookfield FFA members take pride in what they do on Veterans Day, and they look forward to it every year.
“Escorting my grandpa during the Veterans Day assembly was such a special and surreal moment in the blue jacket, and it made my heart so happy to see them receive the support and respect they deserve,” says Brookfield FFA member Nessa Montgomery. “The moment combined our shared passion for the agriculture industry and celebrating our country’s heroes and showing up for our community were so special to me.”
The purpose of the annual Veterans Day assembly and breakfast is not only to honor all veterans and servicemen and women but also to educate younger students about the importance of what the veterans have done for them. The appreciation the Brookfield FFA Chapter and its members have for the veterans goes unmatched.
