Mona Shores School Visit – 2014
On June 14, 2014, on a beautiful afternoon in Washington DC, over 100 students and chaparones from Mona Shores Middle School in Michigan met at Arlington Cemetery. This was the seventh consecutive year that Eric Wahlberg and the Mona Shores staff conducted the visit.
Similar to their meetings the last seven years, Eric Wahlberg, a teacher at Mona Shores, arranged for the get together. Everyone gathered under the big tree in the shade to meet each other and listen to Eric’s dad speak about Eric to the students before moving on to visit Eric’s grave site. Like previous years, Eric’s dad shared about Eric growing up and how he became such a selfless young man. He also shared about his work with the Michael Reagan portrait foundation (www.fallenheroesproject.org). 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. They were beautifully written.
Included below is a very small sample of the students letters as well as some of the pictures.
To the Mona Shores students, chaparones and to Eric Wahlberg, 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.
Student Letters to Eric
Mona Shores student Trevor Versalle
Mona Shores student Sarah Milhesell
Mona Shores student Nick Davis
Mona Shores student Madelynn Holwerda
Mona Shores student Maddie Sewick
Mona Shores student Kayla Theis
Mona Shores student Grace Hellman
Mona Shores student Anna Gomez
