8th Grade Veterans Experience

On Wednesday, December 3, thirty-two 8^th grade students traveled to the Heinz History Center for the annual Veterans Experience Workshop.  

These students spent the school day with local veterans who shared their personal stories of service in our nation’s military.  Students earned eligibility for this field trip by completing an essay and creating questions for the veterans.  

While at the History Center, students rotated through four stations, each featuring a veteran from a different war.  Students listened to first-hand testimonials, examined primary source artifacts, and asked questions to veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.  

In addition, the students participated in a panel discussion with all of the veterans where they discussed topics such as segregation in the military, the difficulty in returning home after combat, changes in communication technology, and their favorite military related book or film.  Students took detailed notes from all of the veterans’ stories and were encouraged to share them with others in the future.  

Thanks again to veterans Walter Patton (World War II), Dave Borland (Korea), Jack Sheehan (Vietnam), Larry Woods (Vietnam), and Debbie Dapper (Gulf War) for spending the day with our students.