School Hosts Helicopters for Veterans Day
St. John Lutheran School in Ocala marked Veterans Day with Huey and Cobra helicopters and visiting veterans on its ballfield.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military
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St. John Lutheran School held its third annual Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 6, when Huey and Cobra helicopters landed on the school's ballfield. The helicopters were provided by the Anthony-based American Honor Foundation, and veterans visited the school for the event.
Why it matters
The event gave the school's students direct contact with Vietnam-era aviation history and the veterans who served in it. For Ocala families, it offered a local example of how schools mark military service.
St. John Lutheran School enrolls 554 students from pre-K through 12th grade. Steve Petty, who piloted a Huey in 1,000 combat missions during the Vietnam War, received 46 combat decorations and is 82 years old.
The players
St. John Lutheran School
A pre-K through 12th grade private school in Ocala that hosted this year's Veterans Day Celebration.
American Honor Foundation
An Anthony-based nonprofit that provided the Huey and Cobra helicopters used at the event.
Steve Petty
A Vietnam War helicopter pilot who flew 1,000 combat missions and was inducted into the 2025 Florida Veterans Hall of Fame.
The details
Helicopters and veterans from the American Honor Foundation visited the school, and students in grades K through 5 had one or more veterans in breakout question and answer sessions. Veterans on hand included Steve Petty, who flew Hueys with the 191st Assault Helicopter Company, and Michael Sutton, who served three tours in Vietnam.
Timeline
Nov. 6, 2026: St. John Lutheran School held its third annual Veterans Day Celebration.
1967 to 1968: Steve Petty served in Vietnam with the 191st Assault Helicopter Company.
Nov. 7, 2025: The Ocala Gazette covered Petty's induction into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame.
Historical Context
The helicopters at the event are the same Huey and Cobra models that carried troops during the Vietnam War, which Steve Petty flew on 1,000 combat missions with the 191st Assault Helicopter Company. Bringing those aircraft and veterans to a school places this generation's students in direct contact with that period.
Families in Ocala can attend school-hosted veterans events and speak directly with former service members about their experiences. Students who participate in such programs gain firsthand exposure to military history that textbooks alone do not provide.
The takeaway
Local schools can serve as a point of contact between veterans and young people, turning military history into a personal conversation. Families interested in similar programs can ask their own school whether it plans a Veterans Day event.
Further reading
Explore more Ocala military news to see how local veterans and service members are being honored.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ocala Gazette.
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