On May 23, three veterans discussed their experiences in the Vietnam War.
On Wednesday, May 23, three veterans from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 899 of New Jersey, discussed their experiences in the Vietnam War with United States History II students from Seneca High School. The United States History II classes recently covered this era in class, and the veterans helped provided insight into the conflict by sharing personal accounts during the war. Additionally, the veterans discussed the Vietnam War’s impact on their post-war lives. They also spoke about some of the lessons learned from Vietnam. Afterwards, students engaged in a Q&A session with the veterans. Junior John Adams said, “Hearing the stories about the veterans’ experiences gave me goosebumps knowing that I could have been drafted for the war at the age of 18.” Junior Madison Melvin added, “Having the Vietnam War vets come talk to us really made an impact on me. They told us things that you can’t find on a curriculum. They were down to earth and really interesting. This is something I’ll always remember.”
Junior Maddie Graff expressed, “Listening to the Vietnam vets was very emotional because I could never imagine going through what they did, and I gained so much more respect for them.”
Social Studies teacher Gerry Sherlock said about the presentation, “Giving the students access to those who lived through major historical events and are able to share firsthand experiences is something that can’t be replicated in a classroom. It’s such a valuable presentation for our students, and I’m grateful for the veterans who were able to give our students this experience.”
