Seated behind a display of his Air Force memorabilia, U.S. Air Force veteran Lewis Demasco smiles as seventh-grade students at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy begin sketching his portrait. (PhotoS: Alexandra Moyen)

MIDDLE VILLAGE — Tom Maher, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marines and Army for over 30 years, said that he and many fellow veterans often feel neglected in their own country. In fact, he said being honored by the students at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy was the first time he had experienced meaningful recognition. 

“There could be a little more emphasis [on our service]. There could be a lot more emphasis in American history,” Maher said. “This is a great start.”  

On Sept. 23, 40 seventh grade students shared breakfast with 14 veterans, during which the students learned about the veterans’ experiences, sacrifices, and service.  

Afterwards, students drew portraits of the veterans, which will be unveiled at the school on Nov. 6. Students also created handmade flowers to honor veterans of World War I.  

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy Principal Kara E. McCarthy said it was important for the students to have this experience.  

“It really makes history come alive for the students,” she said. “It’s all just authentic, real-life stories to make it personal to the students because this is a living piece of history.” 

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Lewis Demasco, a 1992 alumnus of Our Lady of Hope, served 22 years in the U.S. Air Force, with 15 years of that service on active duty. He brought with him more than a dozen badges and challenge coins, each representing milestones from his military career. 

When asked about his upbringing, Demasco shared with the students that the first time he left New York was when he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps as an officer. He said he appreciated how intrigued the students were in his life, as they asked questions about the people he had met during his years of service, the friendships he’s made, and more.  

“These girls are great, they came with many questions, [and were] very interested in what I did in my military career,” Demasco said. “And I’m very excited to share it with them and hopefully inspire them, if they want to serve their country, to do so.”    

Army veteran Tami Garcia-Taylor shares a smile as seventh graders at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy sketch her portrait. During a special Veterans Day event, students learned about her service from 1990 to 1998 and her unique experiences as a woman in the military.

Grace Bouteraa, one of the seventh graders who interviewed Demasco, said she was excited to learn about his many “adventures.”  

“He told us a lot about how fun it was, told us many stories about his training, the places he went to — I really did enjoy it. It was really interesting,” Grace said. “I really enjoy learning about [it from] his perspective.”  

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Tami Garcia-Taylor served in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1998 — a time when women were not allowed to serve on the front lines but were permitted to serve their country through different means of support. During that time, her military occupational specialty was 94 Bravo, which meant chef, and then 91 Mike, which meant transportation.  

Garcia-Taylor said she enjoyed talking to the students to hear a younger perspective on military service. “It was cool to see that they were still interested or even listening, because nowadays, people look at the military as boring,” Garcia-Taylor said. “So I was happy to be able to educate them, and they were really nice.”  

One of the messages she emphasized was the importance of patriotism.  

“We live in a time where patriotism is not where it needs to be,” Garcia-Taylor said. “So just understanding what we do helps to bring back the patriotism.”