AMERICUS — The Lower School (grades 3K-fifth) honored local and area veterans in an impressive program Friday morning in the Melvin Kinslow Gymnasium.

A Color Guard, patriotic music, children bearing flags and salutations made for an event marked with dignity and respect.

Feature speaker was Hubert Greene of Americus, a retired professor of Georgia Southwestern State University and a Navy veteran, having served in World War II. His wife, Cornelia Harris Greene, was the first teacher hired at Southland Academy upon its founding in the late 1960s.

Greene, with his trademark sense of humor, said he entered the service at age 21, in 1942. Taking from his coat pocket what he referred to as his “old calculator,” he held up a lead pencil, pronouncing, “That was 70 years ago!”

A sizable group of local and area veterans, who had been recognized earlier in the program, sat in rapt attention to Greene’s words, as did everyone else.

By 1942, he explained, America was already at war; Pearl Harbor had already been attacked and the enemy “planned to go further.”

In that year, Greene said he had a job and a paycheck and didn’t really wish to interrupt his life, yet when he received his draft notice, he joined the U.S. Navy and was assigned to a naval intelligence unit in New Orleans. After a while, he, like others, were told that if they would agree to reassignment he would get a promotion. He agreed and was sent to Maryland for training in the amphibious corps. Later assigned to an LCT crew, he was shipped out to the South Pacific, headed for Okinawa which had not yet been taken.

“I called my men together and told them we had two main priorities ... to do the best job we can do ... and we’re going to get home safely ... We worked together and we all got home safely,” he said. “Because of mother’s prayers and two atomic bombs, I made it home without a scratch.”

Greene said he appreciated the opportunity to come tell the students what his military service meant to him.

“I was helping to keep the many precious freedoms that we’ve always known and that you know today,” he said.

Greene listed some of those freedoms, in addition to the freedom of speech and religion, the opportunity get a good education, to get a job, to enjoy transportation, to be reasonably safe in good homes, to pay taxes for services, and to have healthy bodies.

“I must remind you that this is not free,” he said, “There may come a time when you’re called to service ... The purpose of my service in the Navy was to preserve all these and other freedoms ... They’re there for my children and my grandchildren and they’re there for you ...  God bless America!”