Football: Park View to Honor Veterans at Final Home Game on Nov. 6

Park View High School is pleased to announce that we will be hosting Veterans night at the last regular season home football game of the year, Nov. 6 vs. Freedom.

All Veterans will be admitted free to the game. At the beginning of the game all Veterans in attendance will be recognized on the field. The ceremony will begin at 7:15 p.m. and the game will begin at 7:30.


The United States Marine Corps local recruiting station will be in attendance and they will have on display a genuine military hummer and a blow up animation drill sergeant on site that night. The local Sterling VFW and American Legion post members will also be in attendance. Every fan entering the game will be given a miniature American flag to wave during the ceremony in honor of our Veterans who have served our country.

We are also honoring a special guest, Park View’s own – George Barton as our honorary Captain. He will be recognized at the coin toss with the officials and team captains.

Barton is a combat veteran having served in Vietnam. He entered the United States Army immediately after graduation from the Virginia Military Institute. During his tour of duty he was wounded three times, but returned to his unit each time. However, his fourth and fifth wounds, suffered in the same battle, caused him to be evacuated to the United States. He remained in the service for another year, but was finally retired as a disabled veteran with the rank of captain.

Mr. Barton has been awarded 4 Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for “gallantry in action.” The Silver Star is the third highest award behind the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. In addition he was awarded two Bronze Stars with “V” for valor, a special award of the Air Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, and the Pathfinder Badge.

Mr. Barton is in his seventh year of teaching at Park View where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2005 after only three years teaching. He wears a small Purple Heart pin every day to remind him and others of the nearly 60,000 women and men whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., and who received their Purple Heart after their death.

Park View encourages everyone to attend this event as a display to show honor and respect for our Veterans who have served the United States of America.