News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville High School’s nearly 20 year tradition of celebrating Veteran’s Day will move on air next week
The event will broadcast over radio, the Putnam County Facebook page and WCTE this year.
Cookeville High School’s JROTC organizes the event. Colonel Nickey Philpot said his students wanted to meet community and student’s expectations to honor veterans.
“Sometimes we don’t realize what these great Americans have done for us, talk to them, tell them how much you appreciate them,” Philpot said. “Let them tell you about their experiences because they are amazing, we’re fortunate… we have some true heroes right here with us everyday.”
Philpot said student interviews with local veterans will resonate most in the community, highlighting the opportunity everyone has to connect with someone who has served. He said putting together this recorded program was about capturing the personal but virtual feeling.
The usual keynote speaker format has been dropped and Philpot said he hopes this highlights the different experiences of veterans.
“We’ve got three students that will interview those veterans about their experience growing up in this area, becoming a military person and then their experiences of being a veteran, post military service,” Philpot said. “We’ve got all different age groups represented, we have got a World War II, Korean War vet and then we have some younger folks that are represented.”
Philpot said it is a school wide effort, with the band and chorus taking part in tributes to the flag, national anthem and all branches of the U.S. military. When a decision was made to make the event virtual, Philpot said this raised excitement in his students.
“This is a unique year certainly and we’re having to do things differently, some things aren’t being done,” Philpot said. “They appreciate so much the opportunity to do anything to show the appreciation of veterans, but they’re really excited about this.”
Philpot said the event should be available to watch for a week or two after Veteran’s Day, in case anyone misses the program. The event is prerecorded and is still being edited, Philpot said the goal is to have it ready to broadcast before Veteran’s Day.
