Junior high students encouraged to have a voice

A local soldier shared with ninth-grade students at Connellsville Junior High East his experiences with the people in Iraq.

Col. Gregory Ritch, a SSA/Deputy Brigade Commander for the Army Reserves 464th Chemical Brigade in Johnstown, also is a retired teacher in the Connellsville Area School District. He taught for 32 years. He retired from the Reserves in June.

Ritch discussed his yearlong tour of duty in Iraq where he saw children with no shoes, traveling on donkeys, going to schools surrounded by barbed wire and attended classes that did not permit girls, and did not have a voice or have the freedom to make choices.

"That has changed since we've gone to Iraq and eliminated an evil dictator," Ritch said about Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ritch said the people of Iraqi are still adjusting to their newfound freedoms.

But, he said, there are Americans who have freedoms that they've taken for granted.

"You have the freedom of choice. You have the liberty to choose your destiny," Ritch said. "Everything you do this day forward counts. It's all about your attitude."

Ritch cited the journey of President-elect Barack Obama. He said Obama's dream to become the 44th president was achieved, and he is making history as the first black president.

"He worked to obtain the highest office in this country," Ritch said.

In his own journey, Ritch said he was inspired by retired Connellsville Area School District history teacher Karen Hechler. Hechler lead him to read many books about the history of America and many other countries and eventually lead him to join the armed services. This journey has taken him around the country and around the world. The experiences has allowed him to meet the president of the United States and governors of Pennsylvania.

"It all started with an eighth-grade teacher who taught U.S. history," Ritch said.

Ritch told the students to take the opportunity to learn everything they can while remembering that ultimately it doesn't matter what they learn but what they have been taught that will define their character, which is also developed through determination, hard work, honesty and integrity.

To help find their character, Ritch told the students to find out who they are by determining their strengths and weaknesses, to be themselves and to remember that life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.

"Will it matter? Trust me, it will," he concluded.