This story was reported for San Diego News Network on May 12, 2009.
Thirteen-year-old Anna G. knew her father served in the Vietnam War, as she was told once by her parents. But, it wasn’t until recently she really learned about his time on the Southeast Asian battlegrounds as a pilot in the Air Force.
“He told me that he actually fell from a helicopter and broke both of his legs so now he has scars all over his legs from the war,” Anna said. “He had surgery but doesn’t really talk about it. He cries.”
Anna is one of eight San Diego students who took part in Stories of Service, a national project to interview local veterans about their experiences in wars. The project was picked up locally by Anna’s teacher, Zoe Randall, at High Tech Middle Media Arts (HTMMA). Randall began the project on Martin Luther King Jr. Day after the children took a trip to the U.S.S. Midway and will conclude the assignment with her students by accepting an invitation to walk the annual Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C.
“They are the youngest people in the nation to attend the Stories of Service digital filmmaking boot camp and wreath-laying ceremonies,” Randall said. “And, [they] will have a chance to share the stories of our veteran community of San Diego as they walk with their veteran’s image in the national parade.”
The Stories of Service project encourages students to develop documentaries about American servicemembers, while learning about their experiences. Randall began the project locally among eight of her students with the assistance of the national organization.
“They had to go out into the community and find veterans who served since World War II and they connected and created a documentary story about five minutes average length about that person’s life,” Randall said.
The eight students, all in the eighth grade at the middle school, jointly interviewed 12 local veterans. And, the stories they had after the interviews were “amazing” said their teacher.
“This project is really important because it gives them service learning values and the ability to connect with the real world,” Randall said. “[They’re] learning about people’s lives and hearing first person accounts of the history of our country and world.”
Fourteen-year-old Michelle I. agrees with her teacher. Michelle said after interviewing her grandfather and great uncle, she was able to learn about aspects of World War II that she didn’t know before. She also learned why her great uncle had his leg amputated after being injured as a Navy Seal.
For Anna, she said although she did learn certain aspects of the Vietnam War from her father, the most important thing she learned was how difficult a time it was. In fact, she said, he prefers not to speak about it as it is such a saddening time for him.
But, for Kristin O., the success of her documentary wasn’t what she learned. For the 13-year-old, letting a veteran to know that people cared about his experiences was what made her project so extraordinary. Kristin interviewed her neighbor, who also served during World War II.
“The most important thing, I think, was that we did something for him, who’s done so many things for us,” Kristin said. “He fought a war – that is the ultimate sacrifice you can make for your country. I think it’s really important that we remember him and what it means to him to be remembered.”
And the eight-grader is excited to show-off the main subject of her documentary at the nation’s capitol this Memorial Day weekend.
While walking in the Memorial Day Parade, each student will hold a poster-size picture of the veteran he or she interviewed to acknowledge their service in the military.
“I think it’s going to be really cool to be able to represent San Diego County, as well as, being able to be the first middle school to have ever done do this project,” Michelle said. “And to represent all of our veterans because they did something great for all us to be here and I think it’s great that they can be recognized.”
Randall, who hopes to make the project an annual one, said the overall concept has allowed different generations to connect in a way they haven’t been able to before.
“I think the connection between the people they met and them, being usually a divide between two or three generations, has been amazing to see their eyes light up when they meet somebody who was really there back fighting in World War II,” Randall said. “They’re learning so much from their stories.”
Last names of students are not provided as requested by the school.
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.