Under sunny skies on Schoolhouse Green, Oceanside High School’s Castleton program continued a cherished tradition on May 26, honoring a local veteran with a flag-raising ceremony ahead of Memorial Day.
The ceremony, which has been held twice each year since 2016 around Veterans Day and Memorial Day, recognizes local veterans for their military service and contributions to the community. Over the past decade, the event has become a meaningful tradition for students, staff, veterans and their families.
The ceremony began with students lowering the American flag that had been flying in honor of veteran Jose Contes, who was recognized during the school’s Veterans Day ceremony in November. Castleton students Dominic Amandro, Camryn Davis and Christopher Sasso carefully folded the flag into a triangle according to U.S. Flag Code before presenting it to Contes, who attended the event.
Sophomore Emely Paez welcomed attendees and led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the National Anthem and opening remarks from Castleton Principal Joelle Hennessy.
Junior Sofia Kistela thanked Contes for his service and recognized his return to receive the flag that had flown in his honor for the past six months.
The focus of this spring’s ceremony then shifted to Marine Corps veteran Cyrus Vaseghi, an Oceanside native and 1986 graduate of Oceanside High School.
Senior Alyson Martinez, president of Castleton’s student council, shared Vaseghi’s military biography. After graduating from high school, Vaseghi joined the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1987 to 1995 as a motor transport operator. His service included training assignments in California and Norway, as well as deployment during the Persian Gulf War in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
During his military career, Vaseghi earned several commendations, including the Southwest Asia Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Kuwait Liberation Medal.
Following his active-duty service, he continued in the Marine Corps Reserves before building a career in construction, operating his own contracting business and later working as a property adjuster.
Sophomore Noah DiGiovanni read the poem “In Flanders Fields” before a new American flag was raised in Vaseghi’s honor. The flag will fly outside School No. 6 until Veterans Day, when it will be lowered and presented to him.
Adding a special touch to the ceremony, two kindergarten students from School No. 6, Christopher Zinna and Grayson Farina, presented Vaseghi with flowers.
The recognition was especially meaningful for Vaseghi’s family. His daughter, Kailee, a teacher at Oceanside School No. 2, attended the ceremony with her class.
Today, Vaseghi lives in Oceanside with his wife, his high school sweetheart. Together they raised three children. Asked what he is most proud of, Vaseghi offered a simple answer: “My family and my country.”
