The Wall

On November 11, we honor the wartime sacrifices of men and women in our armed forces.  Originally termed Armistice Day to commemorate the Armistice that brought an end to WWI, it was renamed Veteran's Day to honor the veterans of all American wars.

In this sobering story, a young boy visits "grandfather's wall," the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with his father to look for his grandfather's name.  This monument chronologically lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in this controversial war.  Seen through the eyes of a child, this touching story is an age-appropriate introduction to new generations about the sacrifices that military veterans have made and the impact these sacrifices have had on families.  The book invites us to share the boy's curiosity, prompting questions of readers about the wheelchair bound soldier with no legs, the grandma and grandpa tearfully embracing, the many flowers and mementoes left behind, and the teacher 's suggestion that the wall belongs to all of us.

As extensions, we looked at the Library of Congress archives where the memories of thousands of veterans have been recorded through correspondence, photographs, diaries, and memoirs.




Finally, as a way to honor our veterans who have protected and sacrificed for us, we educated ourselves about the plights that many veterans are still facing.  Sadly, after sacrificing so much overseas, many veterans return either visibly injured or with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Resultantly, close to 40% of our nation's homeless are veterans, and those numbers are expected to rise.  We read about efforts such as Stand Down and the VA's plan to end veteran homelessness.  Honoring our veterans is more than feeling a swelling of patriotic pride as we safely salute the flag or attend a parade as we see veterans marching by in military pomp.  Just as veterans fought for us, so too, many now need us to fight for them.  Our veterans are worthy of nothing less.


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Links:
http://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm
http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/wwi-diaries-memoirs.html
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3755254
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coalition_for_Homeless_Veterans
http://vvsd.net/success.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/18/vietnam-unexploded-landmines-bombs
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32236846/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/vietnam-land-mines-still-line-million-acres/#.VHykVIeLYug