Veterans Day happened this Tuesday, Nov. 11. While many of our Royals are connected to veterans, this day is important for every American, as our nation’s veterans preserve and protect the rights of everyone in our nation. In honor of this special day, I’d like to take some time to feature some of the veterans in the Rosary community! A few of our seniors took the time to share about their loved ones who served.
To start, senior Mikayla Hayward told us about her two grandfathers who served. Her grandfathers, Skip Hayward and Doyle Turner, both served four years in the Army. She commented, “Veterans Day is a great way to appreciate all the hard work that my grandpa and papa put in for our country. Skip Hayward took on his enrollment at an earlier age; he gave up the opportunity to go to college and left to protect his family and serve the country. I am forever grateful. It also helps me to remember the passing of my Papa and all that he did in his lifetime for the benefit and safety of people he didn’t even know. I know he is still working to protect people from heaven, too.”
Kensie Schley ’26 has a large military influence in her family. Her uncle, Daniel Stinner, currently serves as a Colonel in the Army and has served since 1999. Additionally, Kensie’s father, Ryan Schley, attended West Point and then served as a Patriot Missile Officer as a Captain in the Army. Finally, her grandfather served from 1995 to 2004 as a Radio Operator in the Navy.
Senior Kailey La’s great-uncle, Minh Nguyen, served ten years in the Navy as a Diver. She spoke to the importance of Veterans Day for her family: “Veterans Day is important to me because it reminds me of how lucky I am to have my great-uncle; people like him, who risked their lives to defend their country deserve recognition for their service.”
On a personal note, I am a proud daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, niece and cousin to 11 veterans. This holiday is very significant to my family; our military history has helped instill our family values of courage, honesty, integrity and bravery across over three generations (and counting).
My dad, Christian Vaughan, served in the Army as an Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor for eight years. Notably, he was stationed in Somalia, Germany, Fort Hood and Cyprus Island in Greece. My maternal grandfather, Robert Clark, served from 1966-1969 and was stationed in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant and Tactical Officer. He has shared with me how difficult it was returning from the war to a country that completely ignored what happened to him and all our soldiers there. This is precisely why Veterans Day is so important—to recognize the tremendous sacrifices of our veterans and give them the support they need as civilians. The bravery of all my veteran family members has inspired me to pursue an Army ROTC scholarship for college. I’m looking forward to serving our country and continuing our family legacy of service.
Happy Veteran’s Day! We are so grateful for all our nation’s heroes.
Robert Clark • Nov 14, 2025 at 6:46 am
Thank you, Royal Reporter (RR), for recognizing those who have served their country in uniform. It is meaningful that the RR honors veterans, and it’s heartening to see the younger generation taking the time to acknowledge and remember them. This recognition helps maintain the connection between generations and ensures that their service and sacrifices are not forgotten. The article brought back many memories of my own time in service and highlighted the stark contrast in how veterans were received when I returned home compared to today’s honors. Thanking my granddaughter, Christina, for this article.
Harper Clark • Nov 13, 2025 at 2:01 pm
I used to want to go into the Airforce until I realized I probably would not last a day…..