(Above) Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon commanding general speaks to students at Lakeside Middle School Nov. 7 as he leads the post in many activities designed to focus efforts on Families, schools and education. (Left) The Lakeside High School JROTC drill team performs during the event. The backdrop for Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley at Lakeside Middle School on Nov. 7 was an oversized flag hanging from the ceiling.

"My father always displayed an American flag on the front of our house," said Foley at the school's 10th annual Veterans Day celebration.

"He was a World War II veteran, and he always had a small flag on his desk. My father was a patriot, and we were a patriotic Family."

Over the years, Foley said, his sense of patriotism grew especially when he pledged to defend that flag and all it stands for by serving in the military. Seeing the turnout at the middle school event fueled that patriotic feeling.

"I'd argue that you are the Patriotic Panthers," he said.

The 10th annual Veterans Day celebration at the school filled the gymnasium with students, parents, active duty service members and veterans.

Photos by Charmain Z. Brackett There were other community heroes such as law enforcement personnel and other emergency responders.

As he spoke about the flag, Foley touched on the pledge of allegiance which was recited during the opening of the program.

For Foley, the pledge of allegiance has taken on new meaning since donning the Army uniform.

"Once you serve, once you deploy in service to your nation and put your life at risk, it's no longer the same pledge of allegiance," he said.

In saluting the flag and those who have served to defend the nation it represents, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Clark, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon command sergeant major recited the poem, Ragged Old Flag.

In addition, there was patriotic music played by the school's eighth grade band and sung by the combined choruses.

The school population has many military children included in it, and two of those, Allison and Lauren Harvey, the daughter of Kathy and Warrant Officer Michael Harvey, who is currently deployed to Afghanistan, assisted in the presentation of the Army Community Covenant.