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(5/22/2007)

Students Take Memorial Day, History Day Seriously

Examine sacrifices of past military heroes

COLLEGE PARK, Md., May 21, /Standard Newswire/ -- For many Americans Memorial Day is a three-day beach weekend. However, students across America are finding out the true meaning of Memorial Day through National History Day (NHD).

NHD is a year-long history education program culminating in an annual contest where over half a million students annually present projects in the form of documentaries, exhibits, performances and papers. More than a student competition, the program is an exciting academic experience that helps students learn about historical issues, ideas, people, and events.

By participating in NHD, students become experts in their field of research and many interviewed veterans who shared personal stories and fascinating insights on the men and women that died in service to our country. The focus for the 2007 national contest is "Triumph and Tragedy in History." Below are samples of the work NHD students have accomplished and are available to discuss.

THE BLOODSTAINED BEACH

Austin Mitchell, a student at Chandler High School in Chandler, Ariz., researched the important role of the Naval Beach Battalions during the World War II invasion of Normandy for his NHD paper. Mitchell had the privilege of interviewing several surviving Battalion veterans, learning from the stories and accounts offered by these extraordinary men. In his paper, Austin describes the history of the Beach Battalions, their role at Normandy, the effectiveness of the Battalions, how the experience at Normandy affected the lives of the veterans and explains that the Naval Beach Battalions have not been sufficiently recognized for their service.

LASTING VALOR

Students Madison Olinger, Dylan Gonzales and Ricky Sottile from Columbia Elementary in Bakersfield, Calif. created a 10-minute performance on the life of Vernon J. Baker for their NHD project. Baker is an African-American veteran who fought in WWII in a segregated army. More than 50 years after World War II ended, seven African American soldiers were awarded a congressional medal of honor. Only one of them is alive to tell his story, Vernon Baker. The student's performance incorporates research and personal interviews with First Lieutenant Baker, who killed nine Germans in an early dawn battle at an enemy stronghold when two-thirds of his company was wounded, or dead.

RHYTHMS OF SADNESS: DRUMMER BOYS OF THE CIVIL WAR

For their NHD project, Aspen Madrid, Jennie Corbitt, and Annie Browne of Carl Stuart Middle School in Conway, Ark., created an historical performance on the drummer boys of the Civil War. Drummers played a fascinating part in the war. In addition to their roles as drummer boys, the boys also acted as "stretchers" and assisted wounded from the battlefield. They performed their duties with the competence of an adult in the infantry, which has been credited in some cases for helping to turn the tide of a battle. The students were able to uncover letters and other primary source documents describing the heroics of the drummer boys. They incorporated these documents into their script to help create the dialogue for their performance.

AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN HEROES

Student Ariannah Retamoza from River Heights Intermediate in Corona, Calif., is working to raise awareness about the role that war dogs played in the Vietnam War in the hope that a memorial will be built to remember their service. Her NHD exhibit shows the triumph and tragedy of the 4,000 U.S. war dogs (Scouts, Sentries, Trackers and Tunnel dogs) credited with saving over 10,000 American lives during the conflict. The tragedy is that 3,000 of the 4,000 dogs were "classified excess military equipment" and abandoned or euthanized when U.S. troops left Vietnam. Retamoza uses information collected from interviews with veterans who were dog handlers in Vietnam.

THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS

Breanne Witherspoon, Janna Alexander, Doug Roisen, and Seth Gilleran, students from Carl Stuart Middle School in Conway, Ark., depict the triumph and tragedy of the USS Indianapolis in a short performance for their NHD project. The sinking of the USS Indianapolis had many far-reaching consequences - it was the Indianapolis that delivered the bomb that helped end World War II and led directly to the American triumph over Japan. Eight-hundred eighty of the 1,197 men died onboard or in the water and only 317 survived to tell the story. By helping end the war they prevented the need to invade Japan. The sinking of the ship also caused lasting changes in naval procedure after 1945.

NHD reaches over half a million students, their families and some 40,000 teachers annually. For more information, visit the official Website at www.nhd.org.