Mona Shores School Visit – 2023
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 18, 2023 in Washington DC, 144 students and many chaperones from Mona Shores Middle School in Michigan met at Arlington Cemetery. With the exception of 2020 and 2021 (missed due to Covid), the kids from Mona Shores have stopped at Eric’s gravesite as part of their annual DC trip each year since 2007.
Alex Parr, a teacher at Mona Shores, made most of the coordination for the get together. Its so encouraging to see more and more students make the visit each year. My wife, (who notices these things) said to me she was amazed at how well dressed and respectful each student was.
We will support Mona Shores in this event as long as we are alive as it has become very important to us as well!
Everyone gathered near Eric’s gravesite under the shade of the trees to meet each other and listen to Eric’s dad (myself) speak about Eric to the students. Today we had the blessing mild temperatures and a cool breeze to add to the great day. Like previous years, I shared what I could about Eric growing up and how he became such a selfless young man but also he was more ordinary than most of the students might have thought. I wanted them to know that they didn’t have to be a superstar to make a difference in this world. I shared some of the other ways different groups of people remembered and honored Eric and other Fallen Heroes. We had many really good questions from the kids – about if we felt Eric’s presence and when, were his friends with him, and do we have any special things we do as a family that have become rituals or others way we remember Eric. As was the case the previous years, the afternoon was a very profound and emotional experience.
Most of the time was spent talking about Eric, the type of person he was and kind of impact he was having even though his time with us is over. The letters the Mona Shore students had written to Eric were very touching and heartwarming. Several students read their letters out loud. Last year, my fiancé Tabatha helped me select a few letters from among the nearly 200 that were written by students that we posted online. This year my wife Tabatha helped me select letters to post. yes…..she is my wife now. Good things happened in the last year!
Included above is a very small sample of some of the pictures as well.
To the Mona Shores students, chaperones and to Alex Parr, on behalf of our son Eric and his family, we want to say thank you for honoring him in this way. You have given us a precious gift by learning about Eric and his life. You are a blessing to us and we are proud to call you our friends. We look forward to seeing the Mona Shores students and chaperones again next year!.
Student Letters to Eric
Mona Shores student Brooklyn Briseno
Mona Shores student Shane Thompson
Mona Shores student Hailey Parker
Mona Shores student AJ Schalk
Mona Shores student Jacob Dusenberry
Mona Shores student Avie Harris
Mona Shores student Estella Cross
Mona Shores student Leticia Ramos
Mona Shores student Andrew Kreps
Mona Shores student Goldwyn Boyden
