veterans visit WHS as part of project

WOODLAND

Evelyn Dahl served for the United States Navy WAVES during WWII. In the photo above she is speaking with Woodland High School students during Wednesday’s area vets’ visit to the school. COURTESY PHOTOS

Gon Vu was a Private in the South Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War. Since South Vietnam was allied with the United States, he fought alongside U.S. forces.

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More than 60 Woodland-area veterans visited Woodland High School earlier this week as part of a school-wide project that allowed junior students to experience history firsthand.

On Wednesday morning, students had breakfast with a local veteran and interviewed them about their lives and experiences. Using that information, students will write a research paper and create a visual presentation about the veteran’s life.

Veterans represented all branches of the military and served during wartime and peacetime, spanning from World War II to today.

“Students do sustain a greater appreciation for our military and those that sacrifice their service to our country,” said U.S. History teacher Javier Marin. “It is evident that with this essential assignment, Woodland High School is able to preserve and honor the stories of our veterans so that their experience in history is never forgotten. This project allows us to keep history alive and put a face to their contributions in United States History.”

The annual project was founded in 2008 by WHS teachers Erica Chung and Michael Owens. This was the first time this project was held since the COVID pandemic shut down schools years ago. Students from the school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA), Agriculture Academy and the Culinary Arts program helped stage the event, greeted veterans and served food to participants.

Chung said the project has become a tradition because it allows students to experience history from people who have actually lived it.

“For most kids, they don’t necessarily get a chance to talk to other people and interview other people about their lives,” Chung said. “This is one way we can make history a living, breathing thing so that they can experience it and of course pass it on.”

Dane Gallagher, a Woodland High School physical education teacher, and Woodland High graduate was a student in the first class to experience the project.

“I had the pleasure of being a part of the first Veterans Project in 2008 as a junior at Woodland High School,” Gallagher said. “I still remember that day as being a highlight of my high school days. I interviewed Joe Zane Sr. who has since passed away. He fought in WWII in the Pacific and was among the Marines in Okinawa. I remember being humbled, amazed, and grateful hearing his perspective and experiences. I remember taking that project seriously and the impact it had on my thoughts and viewpoints since. Now, as a staff member and teacher at Woodland High I see what this project has evolved into. The faces of the students intently listening and interviewing these veterans and hearing their stories. It is one of the best days on campus.”

Ava Pedroia, a student at the Feb. 22 event, said the project is important for young people like her.

“This type of project is important because it helps all young students know the knowledge of our former veterans and it gives us knowledge on all that they have done for us,” she said.

Evelyn Dahl, who served in the Navy during World War II as a member of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), was among the participating veterans.

“I think this project is a very worthwhile cause and I love the fact that I was able to serve in the military when I did,” Dahl said. “At the time I went in, there were 80,000 WAVES in the Navy. We were reservists in the beginning and then we could convert to the regular Navy. But I was too close to getting out when I could do that, so I chose to leave the service and go back to civilian life.”

For student Ximena Hinojosa, the project gave her the opportunity to connect with veterans from our community and learn from them.

“To me, this experience is good because I get to hear about their experiences and about how things were back then,” she said. “It’s important because we get to know what all these great, amazing people did for us. We get to appreciate them and get to know them. It’s honestly a great experience for me to get to know them all.”