Cape Hatteras Secondary School (CHSS) hosted its annual Veterans Day celebration on Friday morning, welcoming local veterans, active-duty service members, and their families for an event that blended gratitude, remembrance, and community pride.
The day began with a breakfast for veterans, prepared and served by culinary instructor Randy Ratliff and his students. The main ceremony, organized and presided over by Keith Durham, brought together students, staff, and community members to reflect on the meaning of service and sacrifice.
The Presentation of Colors was led by Andree Ortega and Ozzy Harris, siblings of CHSS alumni currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces—a reminder of how service runs deep within the Hatteras Island community.
The Cape Hatteras Secondary School Band performed the National Anthem and the Armed Forces Medley, honoring each branch of the military. The school’s Poet Laureate, Ellie Nuzzo, shared her original poem, “Sleeping Through the Alarm,” which resonated with attendees for its portrayal of duty, sacrifice, and remembrance.
This year’s guest speaker was Chief Bryan Ballinger, U.S. Coast Guard, who spoke to students, community members, and veterans about the meaning of service and dedication. His reflections, along with remarks from Lt. Robert E. Custer, U.S. Coast Guard, emphasized resilience and the value of serving others, both in and outside of uniform.
The ceremony also featured a recognition of Cape Hatteras Secondary alumni who are currently serving in the Armed Forces, underscoring the community’s long-standing connection to military service.
“Today was truly an honor,” CHSS shared in a statement following the event. “It was a privilege for our entire school community to come together and express our gratitude to the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our nation with courage and dedication.”
CHSS also extended special thanks to Duck Donuts, Food Lion, Conner’s Supermarket, and the Hatteras Island Youth Education Foundation for their support of the event, which helped make the morning of appreciation possible.
“Thank you to all of our veterans, active-duty Coast Guard, and all those who came to help celebrate Veterans Day,” the school said. “We celebrate all of our veterans and active-duty personnel and thank you for your service.”
The annual Veterans Day ceremony has become a favorite tradition at Cape Hatteras Secondary, offering students a chance to personally connect with local heroes while reinforcing the island’s enduring spirit of unity and gratitude.
“Your bravery, sacrifice, and love of country do not go unnoticed,” the school’s message concluded. “We are proud to be Hurricanes—today and every day—and proud to stand beside those who have served our nation, a testament to our shared values and community strength.”
The full poem by Ellie Nuzzo shared at Friday’s ceremony is below.
Sleeping through the alarm
By Eliska Nuzzo
I am swaddled again in my nest of cotton-linen love
And it is too dark to be considered morning,
but the birdsong is contagious.
There are two brown cardinals and a thrasher out there
who were stirred to consciousness by the sirens, and now
they reflect in echoing harmony
Half-lucid, my humanity upends me
I am not the thrasher
Who floats just over the untethered night, nor am I you
who must dirty your hands in it
And still, lonely at the pane, I watch our planet shift
with the weight of those ravaging losses
I am praying that
the tune outside won’t dissolve into a caterwaul.
Even so, we will wake to different times,
The sun rising by your effort
For tonight, I can settle into my faith in you,
who races past the fog with careful footprints
to pant selfless breath back into
another sinking ship.
You, who leans hard into the ground, allowing
the dirt to steal up your grief, and the oil on your fingers.
You, who leaps awake to that nightmare
so I may never know evil
and may sleep through the alarm.
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