Each April, Missouri celebrates the Month of the Military Child to honor the children who serve our country alongside their parents wearing the uniform.
A sea of school children dressed in purple showed up to the Missouri Capitol on Wednesday to celebrate Purple Up Day – the combined color used to represent all branches of the U.S. military.
Fort Leonard Wood Garrison Commander, Col. Steven Bartley, said military children are not just children of heroes.
“They are heroes in their own right. Just as iron sharpens iron, they learn to face change – not with fear – but with courage,” said Bartley.
He referred to them as “our youngest diplomats.”
Kaden Crone, of southern Missouri’s Waynesville, said military children are like the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51.
“They may start behind the other teams on the scoreboard, but through self-preservation and determination to play the fourth quarter, the once impossible becomes possible,” said Crone.
For Lyla Stiles, of the Knob Noster School District, starting over again and again has become a familiar rhythm. She grew up traveling from one U.S. Air Force base to another.
“Packing my things into boxes and watching my old home fade in the rearview mirror became a part of life,” said Stiles. “And though it feels normal, the reality is that being a military child is unlike any other experience – it builds you, shapes you, and becomes a part of who you are. Being a military child didn’t just influence my life; it shaped who I am and how I see the world.”
Austyn Fiorino, a student at Sedalia School District, is the daughter of two U.S. Air Force veterans. Born in Italy, she has traveled to five countries and has moved to four states. A lesson she has learned: to not get too comfortable where you are.
“Because things can change whether you like them to or not. It teaches us as military kids an important lesson. It teaches us that our time together is valuable and not to take it for granted,” said Fiorino.
State Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger praised the students and the schools who serve them.
“We know in the end, we all win when our military families, when our military students win. Our military members can serve our nation with confidence when they know that their students are not only learning, but also are cared for and supported at every turn. Rest assured that our commitment to you will never ever waver,” said Eslinger.
Several Missouri schools were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to help military students adjust to a new school – in Warrensburg, Leeton, Miller, and Knob Noster.
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