Students from Antioch Community High School were encouraged to bring their family members who have served or are serving in the United States Armed Forces to the Veteran’s Day assembly. Many students took advantage of this opportunity to honor their relatives, bringing in twenty-one current and former members of the United States Armed Forces.

The Hernandez Family

Aniyah Hernandez invited her father, Justin Hernandez, to attend the assembly. J. Hernandez has been serving in the United States Army for the last twenty-one years. He follows the path of his grandfather and uncles who also served in the Army.

J. Hernandez’s deployment to Iraq put a strain on the self-proclaimed military family. Leaving his family to fight in the war in Iraq had an impact on his mental state because of the distance between himself and his loved ones.

“I was fighting for my family as well as other people in the United States,” J. Hernandez said.

To this day, J. Hernandez is still an active member of the United States Army.

The Krumrai Family

Another ACHS student, Chloe Krumrai, brought in her mother, Sarah Krumrai. S. Kumrai served in the United States Army for five years right after graduating high school.

“I did it to get college money,” S. Krumrai said. “Once I was in, I really enjoyed the camaraderie and the togetherness.”

Krumrai developed her leadership skills and found a plethora of new opportunities offered to her after serving. However, her time in service didn’t come without sacrifice from both her and her loved ones.

“I did not want to risk not being there for my kids,” S. Krumrai said. “My husband had to make the sacrifice of sometimes being alone, or following me around.”

Krumrai suggests that any youth interested in learning about themselves, how to work as a community or making sacrifices for their country and others should join the Army.

Gallery • 2 Photos