Retired Lt. Col. Michael Lisowski uses 1st-grader Jacob Rhodes to illustrate a point in his speech during a special assembly on Veterans Day at Nolan Elementary School on Signal Mountain.
It’s okay to fail. Just don’t quit.
That was the message given on Veterans Day to Nolan Elementary students by retired Lt. Col. Michael Lisowski, who served more than 22 years in the Army.
"If you don’t fail, you aren’t trying,” he said. “Try to find another way. Attack the problem, and keep trying.”
Lt. Col. Lisowski was guest speaker at the school’s first Veterans Day Assembly at which students were encouraged to invite a relative or close friend.
Nearly 40 veterans traveled from a few miles to a few hours to attend Wednesday’s event. Their service included all branches and ranged from World War II to current with one young man, who worked at the Naval recruiting center downtown and experienced that horror in July, deploying next week for Japan.
A few wore their uniform, hat, or service bar but most appeared as normal as others in the audience except for their stature during the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and as they made their way to the stage for recognition.
Children stood and clapped excitedly as their grandfather, uncle, or friend walked through the student body. Tears flowed as a young woman, who served in Intelligence and wounded during the line of duty, walked up and got a big hug from her child in kindergarten. They continued as an elderly WWII vet slowly walked with the aide of a cane, a relative, and another veteran.
Loud applause filled the gymnasium after all veterans took their place on stage, and students from kindergarten through 5th grade had a chance to see some of this country’s living heroes.
Lt. Col. Lisowski noted that many veterans, like him, continue to serve their country and citizens after they leave military service. He now coaches a U11 Boys Lacrosse team on Signal Mountain and uses his experience in the military to inspire his players. He applied some of those lessons when speaking to Nolan’s student body.
After joining the Army, Lt. Col. Lisowski found himself at Airborne School despite his very real fear of heights.
“I had to overcome that fear,” he told students. “We did it through training, by learning what we were going to do…before, during, and after jumping. Through practice and perseverance, I learned to jump.”
Lt. Col. Lisowski said the same applies whether you’re learning ABCs, multiplication facts, how to write an essay, play music or sports.
"You’ll learn how, if you keep practicing,” he said, and reminded students that Thomas Edison failed 6,000 times before he invented the light bulb.
“You can fail, but no failure is permanent unless you quit,” said Lt. Col. Lisowski, who was highly decorated during his service career. “With practice, you learn how to overcome.”