Courtesy Photo | Lane Rawson - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) employee and U.S....... read more read more
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There are 19 million veterans in the United States and the nature of what veterans have been asked to do for our national security makes it vital that we don’t forget their contributions and sacrifices. One DCSA employee is doing just that.
Lane Rawson - a member of the DCSA Director’s Action Group and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran - has lived in Slippery Rock, Penn., since 2000, coaching youth sports and engaged in the local school system in a variety of ways.
Rawson’s wife grew up in Slippery Rock and now teaches in the school system she attended as a child. For the past eight years, Rawson participated in the middle school Veterans Day panel, where the social studies classes gathered for an hour, listened to the panelists talk about their service and the students were able to ask questions.
Even COVID didn’t stop the Veterans Day panel from happening as the teachers interviewed the veterans while recording it to play it back for the students.
In 2022 though, the middle school social studies teacher wanted to take on a project to use as a civics lesson for his students. It would be more than a project to highlight the contributions of veterans and would be something the students could monitor as it went through the steps to get state government approval. After consideration, it was decided that the project would focus on the dedication of a bridge near the Interstate 79 exit for Slippery Rock in honor of a veteran. The student body of seventh to twelfth graders submitted names for the dedication, with suggestions ranging from family members, friends and local veterans.
The suggestions were narrowed down to about 20 names, provided to the name review committee comprised of Rawson and Laura Goosen, a 2005 West Point graduate, to make the final decision.
“We narrowed it down to three choices, with the “Veterans of Slippery Rock” being our top choice,” Rawson said. Once the name was chosen, the social studies teacher submitted the dedication paperwork for formal state approval, explaining the process to the students as the dedication request progressed through state government. While it took several months to gain approval, the committee decided to combine the dedication ceremony with the annual Veterans Day panel.
This year, Rawson was the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day assembly in front of 1,000 students at the middle school. The bridge dedication ceremony was held the next day, in the pouring rain.
The Slippery Rock University ROTC performed honor guard duties, and the ceremony featured several speakers to include the state Senator who sponsored the bridge dedication bill, the mayor of Slippery Rock, Goosen and Rawson.
The sound system speakers were under a tent to keep them dry, but as Rawson found out when starting his speech, the microphone wasn’t working.
“So, I walked out in the rain and using my best Marine Corps drill instructor voice, I said I would be really proud when I drove across the bridge because it was named for all veterans -- past, present and even future,” Rawson said.
“Through this bridge dedication, the community recognized the sacrifices that veterans make and the children were instrumental in making this happen, which makes me even prouder to be a veteran.
“But it’s also an example of veterans reaching back to the community,” he continued. “There are multiple ways to serve our community just because the days of wearing a uniform are over.”
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2022 16:55 |
| Story ID: | 434410 |
| Location: | SLIPPERY ROCK , PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Middle, High School Students Name Bridge, Gain State Approval to Honor Veterans, by Elizabeth Alber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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