Veterans rule the day Nov. 11

Nov, 10-2009 4:30 pm

By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer

NORTHFIELD – Veterans Day marks the third year sixth-grade teacher Mary Ann Devine’s students at Northfield Community School have made Nov. 11 more than just a day on the calendar. They have made it personal.

Devine said 121 students researched a veteran, asked questions and created story boards that will be displayed in shops and offices around the city for the next month.

Portions of the project had to be done outside of school, and Devine said parents actually thanked her because it helped the students and the families better understand veterans.

In many cases the veteran chosen is a relative or neighbor.

Monica Mahon, 11, did a project on her father, Dennis Mahon, 52, who works for AC Coin and Slot. He is a Vietnam era veteran who served in the U.S. Navy as a petty officer 1st class.

“My dad served on the USS Kitty Hawk, the Lexington and Hancock as a mechanic for the planes. I remember some of the information he gave me from when my brother did this project, but I learned a lot more about my dad by talking with him,” she said Tuesday.

“He told me that if there was a plane on fire, he had to try and get the pilot off the plane and then put out the fire. My dad saved 226 people when he was in the Navy,” she said. “Once he had to jump off the deck of the ship so he did not get hit by a plane trying to land.”

Dennis Mahon earned both the Navy and the Marine Meritorious Service Commendations.

“My dad had a really important job,” his daughter said.

David Goodman did not have a veteran in his family and so his art teacher, Karen Schwanzer lent him her dad, Clayton Davenport of Egg Harbor Township.

A familiar name in his hometown, Davenport served in Korea from 1950-1953 as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a petty officer 2nd class and plane mechanic. He was stationed aboard the USS Midway.

After the war Davenport dedicated years to the students of Egg Harbor Township by serving on the Board of Education, many of them as president. His service led to a school being named in his honor – the Clayton J. Davenport schools for prekindergarten through third grade.

Student Nazia Tahia came with her family from Bangladesh and is relatively new to the United States.

She did her project on Henderson Hemphill, 88, of Northfield and learned about his experiences in the South Pacific, his injuries and the medals he earned in his three years with the U.S. Navy.

“I did not know a lot about Veterans Day, but I know I am lucky to have gotten to meet my veteran, Mr. Hemphill,” said Tahia. “He fixed tools and weapons and had an important job to do.”

On Wednesday, 46 veterans from all branches of the military were scheduled to be guests of honor at a Veterans Day presentation at the school.

Devine said she hopes people will stop at local businesses to look at the boards and learn something about the men and women who put their lives on the line for their country.

The boards will be displayed at B.F. Mazzeo’s, Tilton Market, Athena Family Restaurant, Northfield City Hall, Northfield Post Office, Tilton 9 Theater, Tasty Pastry, Burke Auto Clinic, Ventura’s Offshore Café, Preferred Travel, Jesters Playhouse, Atlantic City Shade Shop, Maxum Photo, Wendy’s Restaurant, Offshore Surf and Skate, Northfield library, Nova Care, Quigley Optician, Ashley Furniture, First National Bank of Absecon, Hollywood Video and East Coast Diving School.



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