Perry Hall Elementary School, home to the Perry Hall Veterans Memorial, held a special Memorial Day assembly and wreath-laying ceremony Friday morning. 

Principal Donna Bergin and Perry Hall Improvement Association President Dennis M. Robinson Jr. hosted the event. 

Students sang a series of patriotic songs and the band played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Students T.J. Reider and Michael Acceo, each on the saxophone, and Devin O'Neill on the drums performed "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

But the highlight of the event was Joseph Robinson, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2004 and in Iraq between 2007 and 2008. Robinson's speech focused on the children and schools he worked with during wartime. His slideshow, which included photos of camels and scorpions, elicited squeals and laughter from the audience. 

"It was a lot of fun," Robinson said. "I can't think of a better way to spend Memorial Day than to hear the kids singing those songs." 

A wreath-laying ceremony at the Veterans Memorial followed the assembly.