'It was beautiful': Veterans from Chippewas of the Thames share military stories with students

When students at Antler River Elementary School see the head janitor in the hallways, they refer to him as TJ.

But on Tuesday, Terrence Riley was among three veterans from Chippewas of the Thames First Nation in southwestern Ontario who spoke with students as they were honoured at the school on National Indigenous Veterans Day.

Riley, Brian French and Clifford Henry, who were U.S. military members, were at an assembly and brunch to share their stories and experiences with dozens of students from Grades 1 to 8, who asked questions to build their understanding of history.

Those questions included: "How old were you when you went to war? Do you know how to fly a plane? What war did you fight in? Why did it start? Did you get drafted or volunteer?"

For Grade 8 student Christopher Hendrick, hearing the veterans' answers first hand was exciting.

"It's good to hear what they had to say," Christopher said. "There were always these iterations of what they would do. There were games. There were books. There were shows on what they would do — but hearing it first hand was just amazing."

He was eager to ask questions about military training, ranks, battalions and medals to gain more insight into their experiences. 

"They've been through a lot, and they were happy to serve." 

"It touches the heart" to see veterans and students speaking to each other, said Michelle Brown, co-principal at Antler River Elementary School, which has 130 students in Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, located about 25 kilometres southwest of London. 

"It was beautiful to see the many questions that they were asking," she said. "You could see today that the students seemed genuine in their concerns and just wanting to seek that knowledge."

As a veteran, Riley was proud to represent his community in the military, he said. He now feels a responsibility to honour sacrifices other veterans made. 

He joined the U.S. navy right out of high school and became a jet mechanic, after his family moved from the reserve to Detroit for better jobs. He worked for four years in Florida and Mississippi fixing aircraft for search-and-rescue operations.

Riley brought back his knowledge to Chippewas of the Thames, where he worked in the fire department for over three decades, including 11 years as fire chief. 

In continuing to work at Antler River Elementary School, he said, "My community makes me feel proud and honours me that way, and I'm good with that."