July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Students pay honor to veterans (12/05/07)


By By TRAVIS MINNEAR-

From 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, the commons area of Jay County High School will be transformed into a museum.

More than 50 sophomore English students, under the direction of teachers Krista Muhlenkamp and Chrissy Krieg, have been working for nearly a month to create displays honoring area military veterans. They have interviewed people from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard, acquiring information and artifacts to get a glimpse into what it's like to answer America's call to duty.

The assignment required students to partner with other pupils, write a short biography about their selected veterans and present information and imagery associated with wartime service.

Students toured the Museum of the Soldier in Portland last month to gain a better understanding of how to construct professional-looking exhibits. Muhlenkamp and Krieg said they partially derived the idea for the project after attending a workshop that focused on teaching techniques for interviewing veterans and telling their stories.

Students worked diligently on Tuesday at the high school, putting the final touches on their projects. Many chose to adorn cardboard displays with photographs of soldiers, sailors and Marines. Old medals, documents and equipment were meticulously placed on desks in the school's library as Muhlenkamp and Krieg graded students on their hard work.

"We decided to take the idea of interviewing veterans a step further and had them ... develop an entire project, which included the museum display," Krieg said.

Some partners brought in uniforms and other equipment to add life to their veterans' stories, while others focused on pictures of servicemen during their tours of duty. Maps also hung attached to several display boards as reminders of where each of the troops traveled to defend freedom.

"Most of them chose (to interview) grandparents, a neighbor or somebody that they knew," Muhlenkamp said.

Partners Ashley Langenkamp and Grace Addington, both 15-year-old Portland residents, decided to do their project on Ashley's grandfather, Robert Langenkamp, who served in the Army during the Korean War.

A picture of Robert sat perched on a desk, surrounded by uniforms and awards he earned throughout his two decades of service.

"He told us that he doesn't regret any of it and he wants to go back," Ashley said of her grandfather.

Addington said the in-depth research and detailed interview requirements were a little overwhelming at first, but got easier as she went along.

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be," she said.

For sophomore Jeremiah Cotherman, the knowledge he gained from World War II Navy veteran Art Hall helped bring some clarity to his plans for after high school.

He said he is interested in military service after graduation, and doing this project has increased his appreciation for the sacrifice made by military personnel.

"Just talking to different veterans we've had and stuff like that just opens your outlook on everything and helps you decide more what you want to do," Cotherman said.

"It really does open your perspective and give you more respect for what they did back then in the wars."[[In-content Ad]]
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