LEARNING HISTORY IN THE PRESENT

Pines Elementary School’s Future Corp Club is a community service club provides 4th and 5th grade students with opportunities to work together to make a difference in their community. One of Future Corp’s main activities of the club is the students’ bi-weekly trips to the Arbors Assisted Living Facility in Hauppauge. The students spend time talking, playing games, doing crafts and puzzles and enjoying sing-a-longs with the residents.

This year, the students had an opportunity to interview several of the Arbors’ residents who are veterans from all branches of the military – many of whom served in World War II. “Every year, Pines students learn about those who serve our country by reading books or watching a video in school,” stated Future Corp Club Co-Adviser Tracey DeRose. “This year was different. The students had an opportunity to interview each veteran at the Arbors Assisted Living Facility. They asked insightful questions and listened to each veteran’s remarkable story.” The student interviews will provide the content for an up-coming book of stories on these American heroes.

One legendary veteran that the students interviewed was Lorenzo DeFau, who served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Mason. DeFau was part of the only crew of African-American sailors to take a warship into combat during World War II. The Mason’s war record included its safe escort of convoys across the Atlantic and its exemplary service in the hunter-killer groups that finally destroyed the German U-Boats that had infested Allied waters. Legendary actor Ossie Davis starred in the 2004 movie Proud that chronicled the real-life story of the USS Mason and its predominately African-American crew. “From the moment I met Lorenzo, I knew I was talking to a part of American history,” described Future Corp Club Co-Adviser Marie Barry.

According to 4th grade student Nicholas LaSpina, “Interviewing these brave veterans was cool. It was wonderful to learn about how they all fought for our country.”