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Ridley High School holds Memorial Day observance honoring local veterans
Summary
Students, staff and community members gathered at Ridley High School for a Memorial Day program featuring the school principal, a history of the holiday, a veteran's keynote and a reading of local names; organizers also held a Murph Challenge fundraiser that donated over $1,000 to the Semper Fi Fund.
Ridley High School hosted a Memorial Day observance that brought together students, staff and community members to honor local veterans.
Jamie Penna, principal of Ridley High School, opened the program by welcoming attendees, praising students and staff for their early-morning participation in a Murph Challenge workout and framing Memorial Day as a solemn community moment to remember those who "made the ultimate sacrifice." Penna said ceremonies help teach students “commitment, resilience, and the spirit of this community,” and asked the audience to carry forward those values.
Kristen Schafer traced Memorial Day’s origins from Decoration Day in the years after the Civil War to its 1971 federal recognition, and highlighted the contributions of James Ladislaw, a Ridley alumnus who served in the Marine Corps and died earlier this year. Schafer said the day is "a solemn reminder that the freedoms we enjoy every day have come at a profound cost."
The program included a description of Lt. Michael P. Murphy and Operation Red Wings and noted the Murph workout named in his honor. Organizers reported selling 129 event T-shirts and donating "over $1,000" to the Semper Fi Fund (transcript: "Semper Fi in America's Fund").
Retired Navy Counselor First Class Petty Officer Robert A. Wetzel delivered a keynote recounting deployments, including combat in Fallujah, and spoke about veterans’ struggles to reintegrate into civilian life and the need for community support for mental-health challenges. Wetzel concluded by thanking the audience and offering a message of solidarity with veterans.
Speakers also acknowledged the Ridley War Memorial Committee for its role in constructing the memorial and read the names of local service members honored by the monument. Principal Penna closed the program with additional acknowledgments to school staff, the Ridley School District board and volunteers, and invited the community to remember those who served.
The ceremony concluded without any votes or formal civic actions.
