WWII Veteran Shares History with Seneca Valley Students

Seneca Valley High School students are beginning their New Year with a new perspective on history after meeting a World War II veteran just before the district let out for winter break. 

Students in the Honors U.S. History class learned about the Battle of the Bulge from S/Sgt. Roscoe Mulvey, a member of the Fourth Armored Division.

“I want these kids to know they’re in a major generational gap,” said teacher Jim Lucot, who asked Mulvey to visit the class Dec. 20—the day Mulvey’s division began marching with General George S. Patton toward Bastogne, France. “It’s unfortunate, but these kids may never get this opportunity to speak one-on-one to a World War II veteran again.”

Mulvey, a Harmony resident, was one of 600,000 Americans to take part in the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945.  He talked about the battle, what it was like to be drafted into Armed Services during a time of war—and about moving to the Seneca Valley area.

“As a teacher, you know when the kids are asking personal questions like, ‘Were you scared?’ it means they’ve found a connection,” Lucot said. “That’s not something they can get from a book. It’s not something they’ll get from a movie or a video game, either. Mr. Mulvey’s visit is the kind of lesson I want these kids to keep with them for a long time.”

Along with Mulvey’s visit, the students created Battle of the Bulge projects with detailed maps. Throughout the year, Lucot tries to have his students meet one-on-one with other veterans, too. This year, they’ve met with a Korean War veteran as well as with a former Seneca Valley student currently serving in the military.

“These men want to be remembered,” Lucot said.  “And they want to be remember by this generation of kids… and hopefully the generation after that.”

-- Article submitted by Seneca Valley School District. Have news you'd like to share with Patch readers? Email Editor Jessica Sinichak at jessica.sinichak@patch.com or visit our Pics & Clips Gallery. 

 Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter

Check out some of today's other top stories here .