War veterans are a step above the regular American citizen. They’ve served in defense of liberty and stared in the face of defiance. Many times, brave men and women lay their lives on the line to ensure that the United States of America remains a sovereign nation. The American tradition of warfare dates back to the early origins of the country, when the USA was born in fire and gun smoke. The duty to honor these men and women falls into the hands of every American, regardless of race, gender or age.
As of recent, World History teacher Ms. Stankiewicz has introduced a new program for her class to participate in, one that allows them to write letters to the visiting veterans.
“I became involved with Hudson Valley Honor Flight program last year because my mother sits on the board for the Hudson Valley Chapter of the organization,” said Ms. Stankiewicz. “Last year, my mother asked if my students could write letters to the World War II veterans who would be visiting their memorial in April of 2013.”
The Honor Flight program was founded in 2005, and was designed to take veterans of the world war on a free tour of the capitol, with the highlight being a visit to the World War II memorial and the Arlington Cemetery. Here, the aging warriors can reflect on their pasts and see the results of their service. For many, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity; many who served on the front lines have been unable to afford a visit to the memorial honoring their service.
With a recently released statistic from the Department of Veteran Affairs, the time to honor those who served in World War II is running out. On average, over 640 veterans from the global conflict that spanned from 1939 to 1945 with estimates of over 75 million civilian and military casualties die every day. Those who remain live with the tragedies they sustained in the conflict.
Almost immediately, Ms. Stankiewicz’s idea became a popular success. “I gave my students the opportunity to participate and they jumped on it. It is not mandatory and it is not a graded assignment. As there is another Honor Flight coming down at the end of April, I again gave my students the opportunity to write to the 101 men who will be arriving in D.C. from the Hudson Valley.”
Many agree with Ms. Stankiewicz that the program has a positive impact on both the students and veterans. “I usually have my students write the letters after they have completed their study of World War II in Europe and the Pacific. I’d like to think that it is beneficial to the students because it gives them a real world connection to the past. So often I feel that students think that history is just that, history. I think that changes when you are handed the name of a person who is still living and who fought in the battles that you read about in your textbook that took place so long ago.”
As a new group arrives, many of Ms. Stankiewicz’s students write eagerly to communicate with a piece of history.