Senator John Kerry Visits PHA

Posted 11.16.09

Somerville, MA – On November 12^th Senator John F. Kerry joined Prospect Hill Academy Charter School for the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award to Army Specialist Sean Bannon, a PHA alumnus of the class of 2004. Also in attendance were Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Somerville School Committee member Marc Niedergang, Cambridge School Committee member Patty Nolan and members of the Prospect Hill Academy Board of Trustees.

Middle School Director Liz Murray noted: “It was an honor to have Senator Kerry visit our campus and see him engage with our students in a thoughtful discussion about service, leadership, and perseverance. I was touched by his sincere interest in our Sprit Award and Peace Prize winners as he asked each student individually to recount the deeds that earned them the award.”

The day after Veteran’s Day, Senator Kerry and Sean Bannon used the occasion to talk about service and responsible citizenship, one of PHA mission tenets. Bannon is a war veteran who was badly wounded in Iraq and spent months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he was told he would never walk again. Fighting all odds, however, Sean marched onto the field at Fenway Park on April 2008 where Senator John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient himself, presented Sean with his Purple Heart medal in front of a cheering audience of 35,000.

The two men united again last Thursday in front of 150 Prospect Hill Academy 7^th and 8^th graders to celebrate Bannon’s receipt of another award; the PHA Distinguished Alumni Award. During the ceremony Senator Kerry congratulated PHA students for their academic performance and reminded them of the privilege to be part of such a good school. He continued by speaking candidly about the courage, determination, and profound sense of duty of American soldiers today and in the past and recounted a personal story of visiting a World War II cemetery in Normandy, France where the conflicting sentiments of pride and loss still linger today. Congratulating Bannon on the receipt of the Alumni Award, he expressed gratitude for Bannon’s service and sacrifice.

The formal presentations were followed by a question and answer period where Bannon and Senator Kerry fielded students’ questions including queries about their commitment to the military, their greatest moments, and their regrets. Smiling, Senator Kerry named his biggest regret Ohio’s voting record in the 2004 presidential election, leading to his election defeat. Both men reinforced their deep commitment to public service and their willingness to enlist in the army and navy again, were they able to do so. Senator Kerry compellingly reminded the audience not to confuse the warrior with the war and reiterated that support of our troops does not equate to support for the Iraq war.

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