ANSONIA - Ancient history.
As I sat among about 120 students at Emmett O’Brien Technical High School last week listening to two Vietnam veterans talk about the war, I couldn't help but think the topic must seem like ancient history to the teenagers.
Having lived through that era I was quite interested in what the speakers - Assistant Prinicipal George Reichert and author John M. DelVecchio - had to say.
Their stories about their experiences brought back memories of seeing images of the war on the evening news when I was growing up.
Reichert and DelVecchio both served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. They are both Newtown residents.
DelVecchio, who worked as a combat correspondent, has written three historical fiction books based on his military service in southeast Asia.
Their stories captivated students seated before them. The juniors have been studying the Vietnam War era in their social studies classes, and this program gave them a whole new perspective not found in history books.
Teachers allowed the students to dress as hippies for the day, and one boy wore a U.S. Marine Corps camouflage uniform. He said he planned to join the Marines after he graduated.
Giving teens a firsthand look at what life was like in their parents’ and grandparents’ lifetimes can only help them better understand their family members and today's global politics.
Schools should routinely offer programs like this, if at all possible. These kinds of educational experiences are the ones that will stay with students for years to come.
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