What started out as a supplement to a supplement on U.S. Military History last year for Jon Kirschner’s junior classes at Hamilton Heights High School turned into one of his most powerful lessons. Kirschner, a U.S. History teacher, brought in a group of local veterans to give students an enriching opportunity to meet and talk with those who experienced some of our country’s world-changing events of the 20th and 21st centuries. It was so well received by students and veterans, Kirschner brought it back this year and opened it up to all junior classes.
Veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War Era, Iraq and Afghanistan were invited to lunch and then to spend a couple of hours with students for “Living History Day” last month. The event was set up in the Media Center and featured informal and small group discussion along with an array of memorabilia that spanned the course of more than six decades. Veterans shared their personal stories about their lives in the military, combat, patriotism and the impact of their service on their lives and on their country. The interaction was at times was powerful, emotional and inspirational.
“Living History Day provides a special opportunity for our students to experience those who willfully sacrificed for their country in some of the most terrible of circumstances for a greater good,” said Jon Kirschner, who added that for most Heights students, this opportunity represents the last generation to meet and talk with a WWII or Korean War Veteran in person. “It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity for our school to connect with the greater community. What our students get from these service men and women we as teachers can never recreate in our classrooms! Their acts of bravery should be acknowledged, respected, and remembered given the propensity for historical repetition and in light of the perilous times that exist in our world today.”