Forums Allow Veterans To Share Stories of Service

Editor’s note: the following was submitted by the Cherokee County School District

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Canton, GA -- Cherokee High School Junior ROTC Cadet Major Robin Sweat recently combined her interest in future military service and her desire to honor local veterans into a Senior Project.

Cherokee County School District high school seniors are required to undertake a capstone Senior Project to explore a potential area of study and career field.

Throughout the project, these students also have the chance to be creative and involve the community in their initiatives.

Robin, who is considering a military career, wanted to create an opportunity for herself and her fellow cadets to honor veterans and hear their stories.

“Our veterans have a lot to give by sharing their experiences, and I wanted to bring them into the classroom in a forum-type setting,” she said.

Robin worked with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and neighborhood organizations to invite veterans to participate in a series of forums.

The forums are organized based on the era of service. So far, a forum has been held with World War II and Korean War veterans, as has a forum with Vietnam War veterans.

A forum with post-Vietnam War veterans also is planned.

Participants have included: Al Hall, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; George Moore, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War; Joe Ledbetter and Steve Major, who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War; and Kelly Hudson and Pitt Watts, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Robin and Cadet Colonel Nathalie Jaimes led the forums, and the veterans introduced themselves before taking questions from the cadets.

Questions varied from “What was your most memorable experience?” to “Which branch of service has the best chow?” (the consensus was Navy chow!).

Hall served as a member of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team -- a precursor to today’s Navy SEALs. He was 17 years old when he volunteered to serve.

“I had to get written permission from my parents to enlist,” he said. “My mom was reluctant to sign, but I was very persistent. She finally agreed, but insisted I tell the recruiter that I not be sent overseas. Six months later, I landed on Normandy Beach, June 6, 1944… D-Day.”

Moore answered the question: “When you are engaged with the enemy, do you ever think about the person you are combating?”

“When you are face-to-face with the enemy, you take on a position of kill or be killed,” he said. “You don’t look at the enemy as an individual, but as a foe to overcome in order for you and your comrades-in-arms to live and fight another day.”

Principal Todd Miller said the forums have been very beneficial for students.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our cadets,” he said. “I am not aware of another format that gives them a direct path to veteran experiences.”

Robin said when she began planning her project in the fall, she wasn’t sure what to expect from the experience.

“I have gained much more appreciation for the sacrifices our military men and women endure during their time in the military,” she said. “This helped me to solidify my goal of being a member of the armed forces, and I hope to serve with distinction as many in our county have done.”

Nathalie said she and her fellow cadets have been impressed by the veterans’ candor.

“Sometimes the truth isn’t easy to tell about the military because people don’t want to scare you away from military service,” she said. “However, these men were completely honest and told their stories from the heart and expressed how they felt and what they experienced.”

Lt. Col. (Retired) Eddy Stanfill is the senior Aerospace Science instructor for the school’s JROTC program.

“The JROTC motto is to build citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community,” he said. “Robin and the corps of cadets have done an excellent job on this project, with an emphasis on community involvement, and I look forward to cadets building on this forum and making it bigger in years to come.”

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Photo 1: Speaking during one of the forums are veterans, from left to right, Al Hall and George Moore, both U.S. Navy veterans, and Joe Ledbetter, who served in the U.S. Air Force.
Photo 2: Celebrating a successful forum are, from left to right, event organizer Cadet Major Robin Sweat, Steve Major, who served in the U.S. Air Force; Cadet Colonel Nathalie Jaimes, who assisted with the event; and Kelly Hudson and Pitt Watts, both U.S. Army veterans.
Photo 3: Cadets not only had the opportunity to hear the veterans share their experiences, but also could ask them questions during the forum.
Photo credits: Cherokee County School District