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Veterans Day surprise in Brookfield
Veterans Day surprise in Brookfield
BROOKFIELD (WITI) -- Veterans Day is a day to say "thank you" to all of those who have served or are serving to protect our country. There are many ways to observe Veterans Day, but few can compare to what happened to a young boy at Dixon Elementary School in Brookfield. He and his classmates got a Veterans Day surprise they will likely never forget.
The plan was innocent enough. It was Veterans Day on Monday, and Jane Fleming's fifth grade class planned to read about veterans.
Fleming told the children some from the media might show up to capture their lesson -- and FOX6 was there.
However, the real reason for the media attention arrived a little later -- retired Army Master Sgt. Kent Jones. His son, Julian didn't know he was there.
Master Sgt. Jones just returned from Afghanistan as a contracted Senior Counter-Insurgency Advisor to the U.S. military and coalition forces.
Master Sgt. Jones' arrival on Monday was an obvious treat for his son, but for his son's entire fifth grade class as well.
"What a treat for me it is to be coming home on Veterans Day, of all days. The timing just worked out really well. It's an honor to be with you today as well as with Julian because I surprised him," Master Sgt. Jones said.
Master Sgt. Jones began by reading "The Wall," a book that reflects on some of the reasons we celebrate Veterans Day. Then came the questions.
"So much they're getting out of this. The questions that they're asking is impressing me. He's just really telling his story, and it's true from his heart. You can't get this from reading a book," Fleming said.
Master Sgt. Jones has spent the last two years off and on in Afghanistan, but he says he's home for good now.
"I had no idea that he was coming in, so I was really happy," Julian Jones said.