"It Was Just A Little White Table..."

VETERANS DAY
November 11th

Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor and thank all men and women who are serving or have served in military, whether during war time or during a time of peace. We tell them how much we appreciate that they served so that we can continue to live with freedoms few other countries have.

To honor this day and teach our students about Veterans Day, I read America’s White Table and reenacted the setting of the table to all 88 students in the 4-Corners.


America’s White Table
By Margot Theis Raven
Illustrated by Mike Benny

Margot Theis Raven’s prose tell the story of a fictional 10-year-old girl, Katie, whose uncle is coming for dinner on Veteran’s Day. Katie’s mother explains the importance of the ceremonial table, and its special significance to Uncle John. He served in Vietnam and lost his friend, Mike, there after the two were taken as prisoners of war (POW’s). Uncle John and his friend eventually gained their freedom; but Mike’s injuries were too severe and he didn’t survive. Katie puts the story in book format as a promise to Uncle Mike and others that she will never forget the gift of freedom that veterans have given her.
To emphasize "It was just a little white table..." The author uses this phrase at the beginning of almost every page in the story.

Here are some excerpts from the story and the scene that was reenacted:

“We use a small table, girls,” she explained first, “to show one soldier’s lonely battle against many. We cover it with a white cloth to honor a soldier’s pure heart when he answers his country’s call to duty.
We place a lemon slice and grains of salt on a plate to show a captive soldier’s bitter fate and the tears of families waiting for loved ones to return,” she continued.
We push an empty chair to the table for the missing soldiers who are not here.”




"But I didn't know what I -- a ten-year-old-girl -- could ever put on the table that was as important as each veteran's gift of freedom to me."


"And that's when I knew what I could put on the table:
My promise to put the words from my heart into a little book
about America's White Table."


"Remember us, please....
we are real people like your Uncle John and Mike
who left families and friends, homes and dreams of our own
to protect your birthright of liberty from disappearing
as easily as sunlight from a glass."

My hope is that all of our students will “remember” the significance of Veterans Day and will look at this day of honor differently than they ever did before. Please ask them what they learned by experiencing this great piece of literature and from our in-depth sharing and discussion.

Can you name all five branches of the United States Military?
All these different branches help keep us safe and protect our freedoms every day. During times of war, they help defend. During times of peace, they help keep the peace. During times of trouble (like earthquakes, famines, etc), they provide help to the people of the area affected.