Col. Frank A. Kuczynski

A member of the Conerly Road School extended family paid a visit to the school on Sept. 11 to give students a lesson in American flag history.

The visitor, Col. Frank A. Kuczynski, also thanked the students and teachers for their support during his recent 9-month deployment to Afghanistan.

On Flag Day, Kuczynski spoke to the students and teachers form Afghanistan via Skype.

The students wrote letters to Kuczynski after that session, which were distributed to other members of his unit.

Kuczynski – brother of Susan Panchery, secretary to principal Donna Silva-Burnett – said the letters “lift your spirits and they lifted the spirits of the soldiers, because everyone has a family, everyone misses it.”

An Army reservist, the decorated soldier was deployed with the 333rd Military Police Brigade, he said.

He is employed by the Department of the Army as a senior staff manager in Farmingdale, N.Y.

During his talk, Kuczynski asked the students a number of questions about the flag:

• What date was Flag Day adopted?
• How many stripes are on the flag?
• How many stars are on the flag?
• When was the last star added, which he modified to what was the last state admitted to the Union?

For the answers, watch the video below.