VIDEO: South Huntington Students Mark America’s 250th With Military History Showcase

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Students in the South Huntington School District took an interactive journey through American history and military technology during an Armed Forces and Semiquincentennial Celebration held May 22 at Walt Whitman High School.

The event, held ahead of Memorial Day weekend and in recognition of America’s 250th birthday, transformed the school’s backfield into an educational showcase spanning from 1776 to the present day. Military branches, local veterans groups and historical organizations took part, giving students a hands-on look at different eras of American history.

See the video below.

Walt Whitman Principal Dr. John Murphy, who began his career as a social studies teacher, said his passion for history helped inspire the event.

“We forget that one of the first major battles of the American Revolution was on Long Island,” Murphy said. “And the history and significance of that is important because it was people on Long Island 250 years ago who stood up against tyranny and really started this wave of who we are and what we are today.”

Students from Walt Whitman High School, Stimson Middle School, Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center, Birchwood Intermediate School and Maplewood Intermediate School visited learning stations throughout the showcase. They watched presentations, took part in demonstrations and asked questions of historians, veterans and service members.

The Huntington Militia set up a Revolutionary War encampment featuring clothing, tools and firearms used by 18th-century soldiers, along with live musket-firing demonstrations.

Students got up close with military vehicles from World War II provided by the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage, and they learned all about Long Island’s important connection to the history of aviation through exhibits brought in by the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

Members of the American Legion Greenlawn Post 1244 were on hand to hand out American flags and share firsthand stories of their military service.

Patrick Mantle, commander of the Huntington Militia, said experiences like the showcase help students understand history in a more meaningful way.

“History is not a multiple-choice question or even an essay. It’s a story about people,” Patrick Mantle, commander of the Huntington Militia, said. “When you put on the clothing, feel the weight of the pack on your back, smell the God-awful sulfur coming out from the gunpowder, you have the ‘aha’ moment: ‘This is what it was actually like.’ You can better empathize with what these soldiers had to go through. These are people who risked everything — their lives, their families and their future — for the United States of America, and I think that’s just absolutely inspiring.”

The celebration also gave students a look at the future of defense and technology. Mobile exhibit trailers from the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps featured gaming, virtual reality, STEM activities, weapons displays and aviation simulators.

Fitness stations with chin-up bars, tire flips and deadlifts also drew crowds, with service members challenging students to one-on-one pushup contests. The U.S. Marine Corps Band performed throughout the event, bringing a lively soundtrack to the day’s activities.

U.S. Marine Corps Captain Samuel Rodriguez said the event was about showing students the many sides of military service.

“We want to give them an opportunity to see all that we do,” he said. “When you talk about our history and how we came to be, you can see that we’re a fully voluntary service; we’re not forced to fight. It doesn’t matter which branch — and we’re here alongside police officers, members of the FDNY and veterans who have served quite some years. Just like educators in school, we can act as mentors, counselors and big brothers and sisters to students who are interested in service. We’re not trying to get them to just join; we’re really trying to help guide them to the right path.”

For Walt Whitman junior Jason Wang, who hopes to pursue a military career, was thrilled to speak with active service members.

“I want to go to West Point for college,” Wang said. “I have always had a vibe towards the military, especially when I was younger. Being here and seeing something like this motivates you. Even though I am not in the military yet, it makes me feel like, ‘I can do this.’”