OHS Students Tell Veterans' Stories through Art, Poetry, Music

Ossining veteran Bill Greenhut’s grandparents never talked about what they left behind in Eastern Europe. Having served in the Korean Demilitarized Zone Conflict in the late 1960s, he doesn’t want his grandson not to know what he experienced as a young man halfway across the world.

That’s why he agreed to participate in the fifth annual Living History Veterans Project at Ossining High School.

“I don’t want the same situation to exist for my grandson,” Mr. Greenhut, 72, said at a ceremony May 26 during which art, English and music students presented their work to veterans.

Earlier in May, the OHS students spent a day with local veterans to learn about their service, see their photographs and find out how the military shaped their lives.

“This is amazing and so special,” Mr. Greenhut said when OHS seniors Cindy Perkaj and Stuart Jacome gave him a painting of himself on patrol in the Korean DMZ, wearing the Purple Heart medal he received. The sun is shining down and pieces of barbed wire are painted throughout the orange and black background. The painting features a quote from Mr. Greenhut: “It was a different state of mind and emotion that I had to learn to manage in order to lead and survive.”

“I just want to note that all of you here today and Stuart and Cindy make me think that the country and my grandson’s future are in very good hands,” Mr. Greenhut said.

The Living History Veterans Project, which art teachers Ron Whitehead and Harry Quiroga started five years ago, was expanded this year to include English and music students in addition to artists. The other teachers who participated were art teacher Sanam Shams, English teacher Margaret Reddington and music teacher Rodrigo Vargas.

“This gives veterans a voice,” said Mr. Whitehead, who served in Operation Desert Storm. “Mr. Quiroga and I want everyone to get something out of it.”

OHS social studies teacher Gregg Ninos, who was on active duty in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves in the 1990s, said he was “humbled and grateful” for the artwork that senior Nicholas Cioffi and junior Julian Negron made for him.

“This is just an amazing program. I’m so thankful that I finally took part in it,” Mr. Ninos said. “The opportunity to speak with these kids, to meet with them and tell stories is a really special program.”

Senior Porter Clements, one of the music students who performed, said students get such a vivid picture when speaking with veterans about specific times in history. One of the songs he played on the trumpet with a few of his classmates was “Autumn Leaves” from the 1940s.

“When you read a textbook in history class, it doesn’t quite have the same effect,” he said. “As musicians, it’s so easy to transport back in time and feel the spirit of the time period evoked through music.”

Westchester County Legislator Catherine Borgia presented Mr. Whitehead and Mr. Quiroga with certificates from the Board of Legislators recognizing them for their work. She said the project is inspiring and the county would like to see it re-created throughout Westchester.

“What a beautiful idea to use art as healing,” she said.