November 11, 2009

Display makes history come alive

By John Gleason

 On Oct. 9, J.K. Mullen High School hosted a celebration to honor veterans and active military personnel. 

The day consisted of students taking a tour of a mobile war exhibit brought in by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association; attending a talk in which they heard veterans tell their stories of time in the military as well as comments from the widow of a Mullen alumnus who was killed in Vietnam.  The day concluded with formal recognition of veterans at that night’s football game.  

Katie Caulson teaches a class at Mullen called Recent American History which covers the time period from World War II up to the present day.  Much of the class deals with the Vietnam War and this year, students were instructed to interview veterans.

“They could interview a family member or they could choose a Mullen alumnus,” she told the Denver Catholic Register.  “They wrote a paper and created a poster representing that veteran.  The posters were then displayed throughout the school.  Then we invited veterans in to share their stories.  The students heard all about being in the military—everything from the political climate of the time to what it was like to be drafted.”

Sandee Swanson, widow of 1960 Mullen graduate Jon Swanson, was also on hand to tell students her story.  Her husband Jon was an Army helicopter pilot who was shot down in Vietnam in 1971.  His remains were not returned until 2002 when he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.  That same year, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush.

“The students wanted to know about what I went through,” Swanson said.  “From the time Jon was reported as missing in action to his being nominated for the Medal of Honor to finally having his remains returned home.  I really hope that my story, and the others they heard, will stay with them and that it will have an impact on their lives.”

Among those students who attended that talk was 17-year-old Cole Gilmore.  The senior told the Register that he was overwhelmed with some of what he heard.

“Hearing the stories of how these men and women served really opened my eyes,” he said. “I try to imagine these people 40 years ago when they were about my age going around the world to fight in a war.  It isn’t easy to grasp at first but then it becomes a kind of living history.  And when I think about Captain Swanson not just as a military pilot, but as one who went to my school, it really brings the story home.” 

The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association is a group dedicated to the estimated 40,000 pilots who served in Southeast Asia.  Their mobile museum contains information, artifacts and displays pertaining to the Vietnam War.  Lauri Echer, director of special events at Mullen, said the students were impressed with what they saw.

“There were all kinds of things,” she said, “maps and flying manuals, pictures of the different types of helicopters flown in Vietnam. There was a flight suit and helmet on display and one pilot donated all the letters he received from home during his tour.  We kept it open all afternoon so the entire student body had the chance to view it.”

Caulson was pleased with the day’s events, both for the chance to honor veterans but also to expose her students to a different way of looking at history.  She told the Register her desire is that her students get more than simple book learning.

“It’s such a benefit for students to hear stories like this close up,” she said. “Sandee Swanson and all the veterans who came to the school to be part of this day do so much for these kids. It reinforces why we honor our veterans.”