The granddaughter and great-grandchildren of Lt. General Edward Fris honor him at the Holy Family School Veteran's Day program.
Photo by Richie Ann Ashcraft
Hundreds of students and guests clapped, cheered and whistled for the active and retired veterans that attended the Holy Family School’s salute to veterans assembly Wednesday afternoon.
The program was presented as a play with two students acting as a grandfather and grandchild who were visiting the cemetery and discussing the history of Veterans Day.
The play explained that Veterans Day used to be known as Armistice Day which was marked at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11. after the truce that ended WWI.
Students entertained the crowd with a heartwarming version of “God Bless America” and a recitation of “In Flanders Field.”
Then the crowd was introduced to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of former high-ranking officer Edward Fris, the honored veteran for Wednesday’s ceremony. Fris’s granddaughter is a teacher at the school and his great-grandchildren also attend Holy Family.
Fris was born Sept. 1, 1921. He remembers listening to the Dempsey-Tunney heavyweight boxing match on his family’s first radio in 1927.
Fris had a long career with the military. He was one of the first men to walk through Nagasaki after the atom bomb fell in 1945. As a member of the United States Marine Corps, Fris served also served in Korea and Vietnam. He later worked for the Pentagon and earned the rank of three-star general. He met many standing presidents and had a hallway in the Pentagon named after him. He served in the United States military for more than 32 years.
“When I was a kid, he was just my grandpa,” said his granddaughter, Yolanda Pacheco. “Now as an adult I’m so proud of all he accomplished and did for us.”
Pacheco said that Fris didn’t really understand why Holy Family School would honor him in this way because he just did his job. Fris received a standing ovation.
The students sang each military branch’s theme song and asked soldiers to stand for recognition. After the grand finale, the veterans and guests gave a standing ovation to the students.
“They put a lot of work into this,” one man whispered. “I know, I cried all the way through it,” replied his wife.
Comment by susan brownlee on November 12, 2009, 7:34 am
The US Navy does not have “Generals.” The Navy 3 star rank is Vice Admiral.
Comment by Thomas M. on November 12, 2009, 10:01 am
If this man were a “Lt. General,” he would be Army, USAF or USMC. So either the Sentinel has gotten this wrong, or something else is going on here. I am searching for this individual’s name and so far have come up with nothing. Can someone at the GJ Sentinel please check this out and clarify either this man’s rank or branch of service?
Comment by Richie Ann Ashcraft on November 12, 2009, 4:38 pm
Mr. Fris was a member of the United States Marine Corp where he earned the rank of Lt. General.
Comment by Thomas M. on November 12, 2009, 4:51 pm
Marine Corps. Not Corp.
Comment by Jennifer C on November 13, 2009, 3:25 pm
The Holy Family students do a beautiful job every year honoring our veterans. There is not a dry eye in the place, especially when veterans in the audience stand as the students sing the theme song for their military branch. It is very patriotic and a great lesson for the students to meet men and women who have served our country and have the opportunity to thank them for their service.