Maddie Phelps ’19 & Hannah Bolandian ’19

With pounding rain blinding their paths, racing hearts pumping and adrenalin rushing through their veins, soldiers in combat trudge through the muddy battlefield. Loud, violent booms explode all around them, forcing them to present the utmost alertness. Often weighed down by heavy equipment that they carry on their backs for miles and miles on end, running on little or no sleep, these soldiers have seen it all.

Staples’ Assistant Principal, Richard Franzis, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1981. Prior to enlisting, Franzis spent many years in the reserve until he volunteered to serve in the war in Iraq. Franzis said his experiences in combat were positive.

“For me it was a great experience, but a lot people don’t have that same kind of experience; they come back with all kind of emotional and physical wounds,” Franzis said. “I got to meet some of the best people I’ve ever met, I got to deal with diverse people that I would never have gotten the opportunity to deal with, people from every state in the union, all different socioeconomic groups, all different races, religions and creeds.”

The head of the English department at Staples, Julie Heller, served in the U.S. Air Force as a young adult after graduating from high school a year early. Heller described her experiences as positive and life changing, saying, “I interacted with people from all walks of life, people of different races and religions. This really shaped me into a more open-minded, understanding individual.” Heller has a true devotion to the military and believes that “every young person in this country should have to serve before going to college, much like they do in Israel.”

In addition to faculty, Staples is filled with students aspiring to serve their country and follow in footsteps similar to Franzis. Dylan Marone ’18 is just one student who has dreamed of serving ever since he was in Kindergarten. He said he was influenced by his family who has a military background.

“I always felt that it has been a part of me, and that’s what I’m meant to do, to serve the country,” Marone said. “You are fighting for what you believe, fighting to protect those to your left and right, those back home and for your loved ones.”

Marone plans to join a military school after graduating Staples, and aspires to be a Navy officer. Later, he hopes to join the Naval Special Warfare community and become part of the Sea, Air and Land Team (SEAL) or Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) operator. “Absolutely nothing is holding me back from joining,” Marone explained. “The only concern I have is will I be a good officer.”

Ida Nevstad ’19 doesn’t come from a military family, but she is keeping her mind open to serving the country. Originally from England, Nevstad moved to the States just last year. Nevertheless, joining the United States military has crossed her mind. “I mainly want to get my U.S. citizenship so that I will be able to join the army after college,” Nevstad said.

Other Staples students say that they appreciate and respect their fellow Americans who serve and sacrifice their lives for their country, but don’t believe the military is the right path for them.
Kevin Greer ’19 said it would be difficult for him to adjust to the rigorous, intense military lifestyle. “I completely respect and admire those who serve our country, but I don’t think joining the military would really be for me,” Greer said.

Westport mom of two Staples students, Susan Arrow, doesn’t serve in the military, but she volunteers her time to show appreciation for the troops. For the past eight years, she and her family collect unwanted Halloween candy from locals, and then sends it to an organization called Operation Gratitude that distributes the candy to deployed troops. Soldiers may eat the candy, or choose to share it with the local kids they encounter.

“I had heard about the idea of donating Halloween candy many years before I had kids, and it always stayed in the back of my mind,” Arrow said. “To me, it’s a very small gesture to say ‘thank you’ to the men and women who allow us to live the safe, free lives that we do.”