Students ensure World War II experiences won't be lost
Year by year, even as the number of America's World War II veterans gradually diminishes, more and more young people are learning of their brave deeds and the heroic sacrifices made for their nation and the free world.
And sixth-graders at St. Hubert's School in Hoffman Estates consider themselves lucky to play a part in ensuring that the firsthand accounts of these eyewitnesses to history are recorded for posterity.
Last week, the students interviewed veterans of World War II and other wars at Friendship Village in Schaumburg - not only for their own benefit but for the video archives of the Library of Congress.
The project was organized by social studies teacher John Reilly, who won a grant for video and computer equipment earlier this year for this very purpose.
In addition to introducing his students to much of their earliest knowledge of World War II, he also impressed upon them the importance of such a project at this time.
He explained that of the 16 million Americans who served in the war, only about 2 million are still alive. And as the 21st century's first decade nears its end, more than 1,000 of those who served in World War II are dying every day.
The aspect of the project that most pleased him was the mutual enthusiasm of the students and the veterans. The sixth-graders proved themselves to be skilled interviewers, while the vets showed no sign of the stereotype of being tight-lipped about their wartime experiences.
"I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out," Reilly said.
He was assisted on the project by sixth-grade literature teacher Lisa Grant, who also recognized it as an eye-opening experience for the students and a cathartic one for the veterans.
"I think a lot of (the veterans) had specific things they wanted to say," she said. "I think Veterans Day will mean more to the students this year. It will have a deeper meaning than in years past."
The students themselves wholeheartedly agreed.
"I understood before that veterans fought in war, but I didn't know why they fought and what they went through," sixth-grader Carly Dagen said. "They have really amazing stories."
Classmate Eric Parks said the project has sparked his curiosity to all aspects of the war, including a TV show he just came across on the atomic bombing of Japan.
"I never actually thought it would be that crazy," he said. "This year (on Veterans Day) we're going to say they did brilliant things that maybe they didn't like to do, but they did it for us."
George Mahoney was one of the 13 veterans interviewed by the students. He shared with them the sweet relief of learning the war had ended - just as he and his crew were about to invade Japan and knowing many wouldn't survive if that occurred.
"We were in a transport ship convoy en route to invade the island of Japan," Mahoney said. "We boarded our assault boats ready to hit the beach at Yokohama Harbor. The crew all said their goodbyes because we knew the desperation of the enemy from the youngest child to the eldest adult. We would go in and fight to the end, and we knew in our hearts we might not come back.
"It was dark that evening," he continued. "We were about 250 yards from the ship. Suddenly, the lights from the transport ship blinked off and on again and again. We turned to the officer in command. 'The war is over,' he shouted."
Reilly said he was pleased the project resonated as much with the veterans as the students. He heard from Friendship Village's lifestyles activity program coordinator Donna Brown that the vets were still on Cloud 9 and talking about the project days later.
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