One of the highlights of Westport’s Veterans Day ceremony is always an address by a Staples High School senior.
With wisdom and insight beyond their years, they remind us each year of the importance of citizenship, service, and honoring those whose sacrifice ensured that those teenagers could stand at that lectern, that day.
This morning’s address at Town Hall was extra special. Ignacy Nieweglowski and Sahil Vora have unique stories to tell — and they told them superbly. Alternating at the microphone, they said:
Thank you so much for being here as we gather to commemorate those who served our country with great courage; those who continue fighting for us with heart and bravery; and those who have sacrificed their lives to protect the country that we are so privileged to call home.
I’m Sahil Vora. And I’m Ignacy Nieweglowski; and we’re both seniors at Staples High School.
Sahil Vora and Ignacy Nieweglowski outside Town Hall … (Photo/James Farnen)
There’s a certain irony that we’re standing up here today. I’m originally from Warsaw, and moved to the US 4 years ago to start high school here in Westport.
My parents moved from India in 2004. Growing up, English was one of 5 languages I heard at home. By any ordinary measure, the 2 of us are unlikely people to be speaking to you about what it means to be “American.”
And yet, here we are. My father grew up in a small village in Haryana, India, while my mother was raised in Mumbai, a large city. They traveled and lived all over the world, eventually settling here, motivated by the lack of a caste system and opportunities for all.
My parents were born in the port city of Szczecin along the Polish Baltic coast. They grew up under the ruling hand of the oppressive and degrading communist regime. Through all of it, my parents had always looked westward.
… and Ignacy and Sahil at the mic. (Photo/Dave Wilson)
Under such different circumstances, our parents both formed the same belief about the possibilities of this nation. And they passed those beliefs on to us: that in a just America, your ancestry doesn’t dictate your future. That in a tolerant America, a dissenting voice is answered but never silenced.
It is for this faith that so many generations of men and women have fought for our country with unwavering commitment. Those who fought came from every background that this nation holds, all fighting for the same convictions.
Kazimier Pulaski was a Polish cavalry officer who had fought for his country’s independence, lost, and been forced into exile. In 1777 he sailed to America and joined the Continental Army as a volunteer, with no rank and no soldiers to command.
At the Battle of Brandywine, the British broke through the American lines, and George Washington’s army was in danger of being surrounded. Pulaski asked for the only horsemen available, the 30 men of Washington’s personal guard. He led them in a charge against the advancing British, and held them off long enough for the army to escape.
Pulaski fought to defend his belief in this nation’s sovereignty and right to self determination. So too would the millions of Polish American veterans after him.
Simratpal Singh served in Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army. But as a Sikh American, he initially had to give up his turban and beard to serve. He challenged that restriction, and in 2016, the Army granted him the right to serve while practicing his faith. Like Singh, generations of Indian Americans have served this country, united by a belief in the freedoms America stands for.
(Photo/Lucy Zeko)
Today, we have the rare opportunity to celebrate and appreciate 250 years of those who valiantly fought to protect their convictions, to realize their shared vision of a fair and true America.
To the veterans here today, your service reaches far beyond the years you spent in uniform. It lives in the freedoms we exercise, the opportunities we pursue, and the lives we get to build.
For that, we thank you. We are proud to call ourselves Americans.