Students tune in for veterans’ panel

AMENIA — The history department at Kildonan School offered students a different kind of learning experience Wednesday, March 11.

A veterans’ panel for grades seven through 12 was held in the school’s athletic center. Five veterans, representing four wars, spoke about their experiences and answered questions from the audience.

“It’s an exercise in oral history, as we look to preserve the memories of the past,� Mike Setaro, chair of the history department, said after the panel. He added that the event was an opportunity for the students unlike any other, “where they heard first-hand accounts of events that they have only previously read about or seen in the media.�

The five local speakers were Victor Sepe from World War II, Arnie Anderson from Vietnam, Steven Strandberg from Vietnam, Alec Pandaleon from Desert Storm and Shield, and Mike Ritrovoto from the war in Iraq.

In every history class at Kildonan, there is a current events theme that runs through the curriculum, Setaro explained. The election last fall tied into the founding of the United States Constitution. The stimulus bills were explained while learning about the different branches of government. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were compared to previous military action.

“We thought these speakers would be the best primary sources available,� Setaro said.

Each speaker was given 15 to 20 minutes to discuss his experience in the armed forces, followed by specific questions from the students. After the final speaker, the audience asked the entire panel general questions.

Some stimulating questions were posed to the panel: Did you ever have to follow an order you did not agree with? What advice could you give a student who is possibly interested in joining the armed forces? How did you keep in touch with your family and friends while away?

Setaro said students enjoyed hearing about Sepe’s days in the Navy during World War II, as well as Anderson’s anecdotes about the food and living conditions during his time in Vietnam.

Setaro added that the students were able to related to Ritrovoto, who is a Marine staff sergeant in his mid-20s and is still on active duty. He chose service following high school.

“The students were able to hear what life was really like for these men who were going off to war at the same age as our juniors and seniors,� Setaro said. “From speaking with them over the past few days, it is clear the students not only came away with a new appreciation for oral history and primary sources, but are also now genuinely interested in the emotional and physical experience of those people who have served our country. The gravity of our current involvement in the Middle East really hit home for most of our students as they listened to each speaker discuss his first day at boot camp and the first time he saw action in the field.�

Now that the panel is over, the history department is asking the students to implement their new-found knowledge into the classroom. Students will be asked to write a research paper and create a multimedia project based on 20th-century history and current events. The use of several primary sources (of which the veterans’ experiences would be an example) is required.

“Some of the speakers may also be invited back to guest lecture in a class,� Setaro said.

Each class will write a thank-you letter to a specific speaker and the art department will make miniature replicas of war memorials that will be sent along with the letters. Additionally, there are two national essay contests sponsored by the VFW that students will have the opportunity to enter. Winners could receive up to $50,000 in college scholarships.

“This event was not planned to spur political debate,� Setaro said, “but to give our students a chance to appreciate oral history and primary sources by interacting with the speakers, listening to their experiences, and learning from the people who actually made history.�