On Monday, Nov. 18, Washington Elementary invited local veterans to the school to share their stories with students.
This event was held in honor of Veterans Day which was recognized on Monday, Nov. 11, this year.
The Veterans were able to display their artifacts, share their experiences and stories, and answer questions from students.
Students were asked to prepare for this program by reviewing the appropriate history as it relates to their curriculum.
Tom Farmer, of the Oley Valley, was one of the veterans chosen to participate in this event.
Farmer served on the U.S. Air Force between the Korean and Vietnam wars and is a regular participant in the Reading Air Show each year. In addition to photos, gear and artifacts, he also brought brochures for the students. One of his artifacts included his Military Dog Tag, which students took a particular interest in. He explained how these tags were used to identify army personnel. He also spoke about the planes that he has flown and had a model on hand for the students to check out.
Robert Breiling, a former B-17 bomber pilot, spoke about flying over Germany. He remembers when the crew got ready to go, they loaded into a brand new B-17 which came right from the factory. ‘In the old days, new cars had a very distinctive smell. Please love that new car smell-the airplane smelled like that.’
Scott Neiman, a Desert Shield and Storm Veteran, offered what he referred to as ‘a please touch museum.’ He presented foreign currency to students, explaining its history and meaning. The students were allowed to handle the money.
‘you guys can get an idea of what everyone has been through and what people do to keep this country free,’ said Neiman to the students, in reference to the school’s event.
Groups of students rotated to each of the veterans to learn about their experiences.
