Bernalillo High School hosts Veterans Day breakfast

BERNALILLO — Bernalillo High School held its first Veterans Day Breakfast in the BHS Library Nov. 11.

“Though many of our veterans’ stories may not be recorded in history’s books, they are written in the fabric of our communities,” Brigadier General Pia Romero said. “These individuals show us that the spirit of service continues long after they return home.”

Romero was the keynote speaker of the event and is New Mexico Army National Guard’s first female to be promoted to general.

“The story of female veterans is one of resilience, progress, honor, courage and, again, commitment,” Romero said.

BHS students were asked to invite a veteran as their guest and then enjoy breakfast with them. All of the breakfast food was catered by the Pink Ladies “Cocina on Wheels” food truck.

“We decided to open it up to our students and let them invite a veteran guest of their choice and have breakfast with them to honor our veterans on Veterans Day,” BHS Principal Alyssa Sanchez Padilla said. “This is going to be the first of many annual Veterans Day breakfasts.”

The school invested in some veteran memorial pins, and at the end of the breakfast, the students pinned their veteran guest.

“That’s just a gift from the student to their veteran thanking them from their service and for coming today,” said Sanchez Padilla, who brought some guests of her own: Army veterans Arthur Sanchez (her father) and Tony Johnson (a family friend).

To the surprise of some students, a BHS staff member was also spotted wearing a formal military uniform, and that staff member was Jennifer Jaramillo.

“I enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard back in 2014. I served my six years with the U.S. Army National Guard with the 920th out of Roswell, New Mexico. I am a heavy equipment operator,” Jaramillo said. “As I was doing the National Guard, I began teaching.”

Besides serving in the U.S. Army National Guard, Jaramillo is BHS’s activities director and head cheer coach.

All honored at the BHS Veterans Day Breakfast include Arthur Sanchez (Army), Tony Johnson (Army), Evan Iarsen (Army), Jennifer Jaramillo (Army National Guard), David Redwine (Army), Arthur Ortega (Army National Guard), James Thompson (Marines), Tony Trujillo (Army), Bernalillo school board member Michael Archibeque (Air Force), Adam Armijo (Army), Sam Sena (Army), Olivia Perez (Navy), Larry Pasqual (Marines), Jack Torrez (Army), Andrew Castillo (Army), Maria Monelova (Army National Guard), Refugio Martinez (Marines), Greg Doss (Army National Guard), Barry Calloway (Army), Ricardo Vasquez, Lorenzo Barraza, Thomas Maes, and Wayne Longly Draden (Marines). Two others were honored but we were not able to confirm their full names; they were referred to as “Katrina” and “Coach Rob.”