Following visit to Bangor museum; students write on the topic: ‘What freedom means to me’
Earlier this fall, students from Caribou Middle School, Limestone Community School and Teague Park School traveled to Bangor to visit Coles Land Transportation Museum and participate in their Veteran’s Interview program.
“The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience of visiting with individual veteran’s to hear their stories and see their memorabilia. They were also impressed by how humble these men and women were when sharing their real-life experiences in the military,” said Beth Alden, the students’ Gifted and Talented teacher. Some students were so moved by the challenge to talk to veterans back home that they did just that.
Here are some of their essays:
I think kids should know freedom is not free! People fought for freedom. People in World War I and II risked their lives to give us freedom. We should be very grateful because thousands of people died.
My great-grandfather named Albert Hersey served in World War II in the Pacific from March 1942 to November 1946. He was 19 and was in the Army. I think to be 19 and go to war is young!
He was drafted not knowing he was going to Japan. He went on a ship and it took him 33 days to get there. He slept on the second deck of the ship in the bow. He was nervous because he didn’t know what he would be doing and where he was going. I think he was brave because he could have gone to the worst place on earth! He didn’t know.
He said most of Japan was bombed. He also told me about “honey carts” that carried waste and might be pulled by a horse or a cow. Not many cars were there and they used coal to make fuel for the vehicles. There were cherry blossoms that were beautiful and groomed. He remembered that the people were friendly and polite.
He wasn’t involved in any major action or captured and he wasn’t injured. I think he’s lucky he did not get injured because 4 million out of 6 million survived and he didn’t even get injured.
It took him 14 days to get back to America and four of those days occurred during a big storm.
He earned four medals: Army of Occupation Medal, Special Forces Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War Two Victory Medal.
He’s an American Patriot because this is his home and he has respect for this country.
Calvin Hersey
Grade 5
Teague Park School
Veterans are people who have been in the Armed Forces. The United States has about 21.8 million veterans. Ninety percent of the veterans are men, and that would mean only 10 percent are women.
Veterans served in the military to keep our country safe and strong. Veterans spend years at a time away from their families and risk their lives for our freedom and safety. Sometimes they protect other people in other countries. I got to meet two wonderful veterans.
The first veteran I met was at Cole’s Transportation Museum. His name was Doug Plenge. Mr. Plenge was in the Air Force for 26 years. He served in the Vietnam War. He was wounded in action. When he was shooting from his plane the thing he shot
came back at him and hit him between his eyebrows. The result was a busted tooth, two black eyes and a bloody nose.
Mr. Plenge showed us a lot of pictures of planes and it proved that he knew a lot about aviation.
Mr. Plenge also writes poems. He read one of his poems about one of his friends who had been killed in the Vietnam War. It was very emotional.
I enjoyed listening to Mr. Plenge speak. I now know more about veterans from my interview with Mr. Plenge.
The next veteran I met was Phil Caverhill, from Caribou. Mr. Caverhill was drafted into the war. Drafting is when they take people 18 or older and have them go into the Armed Services.
Mr. Caverhill talked a lot about being in Basic Training. They always got up early and go to bed late. I saw pictures of the huge shots they got to prevent diseases. They do a lot of exercising in the morning and at night.
One of the things that Mr. Caverhill and Mr. Plenge had in common is that they both do not recognize themselves as heroes. I would think of them as heroes though. They changed my view of freedom forever. Now I think of freedom as doing what you want to do without being told.
Freedom is not free. They fight so hard for us. Even though as children we haven’t been asked to fight we must show our gratitude by saluting the American flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and honoring those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom.
Laura Plourde
Grade 5
Teague Park School
I have family members that were veterans, but after interviewing Paul Wilbur I realized freedom was tough to earn. I think of people like him as heroes. He was a brave man and chose to go to the war at 17. He was supposed to fight for six months but ended up staying three years.
One time Mr. Wilbur was driving a truck of bullets that exploded on contact and one fell and and landed on his nose. Luckily it was a dud. While in the Armed Services, he fought Japan and had to fight in each island the Japanese took over one by one. It took two bombs for Japan to surrender. Paul Wilbur earned four medals for his service.
He was very glad that he served in the war and said he would do it again. Mr. Wilbur is very patriotic and also very lucky. He had a lot of close calls and survived when others did not.
Freedom was not free. I’m glad people like him fought for our freedom. Paul Wilbur was extremely brave and I am very glad that I got to interview him.
“Do not think of me as a hero.” – Paul Wilbur
Maddison Jackson
Grade 5
Teague Park School
Bang a shell comes crashing through the roof of your truck and touches your nose … but it didn’t go off, whose adventures am I talking about, well Mr. Paul Wilbur’s of course, a World War II vet.
Growing up as a child today there are many different views of what freedom means. Does it just mean being free, or does it mean being free and happy, having someone who cares for you and loves you? Well the dictionary says freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or resistance.
What does this mean to you, well to me it means nothing. We can decide what freedom means to us, but my personal definition changed drastically after meeting a World War II veteran Paul Wilbur.
On August 27, 2016 a popular football player named Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem. When I asked Mr. Wilbur if he supported this action he said “This is disrespectful.” As he said this something happened that changed my definition of freedom forever, tears started to fill his eyes as he told me that he is a very patriotic man and that he will respect the flag forever. Mr. Wilbur told me that he doesn’t think of himself as a hero — that made me think of something. Today people take everything for granted. For example “Why should I be thankful for living in a house with my family.” Well here’s why, Mr. Wilbur was supposed to leave his family for six months at age 17. He left for three years with no family and nobody to care for him.
If you would have been in the room when an image of the American flag came on the television you would have been amazed, every single veteran took off his/her hat and put it over their chests. It was a touching moment I will never forget.
If you are thinking about joining the military I encourage you to do so. In Mr. Paul Wilbur’s exact words “It is your job to keep us out of war.” And those words I will honor forever.
Lastly I would like to thank every veteran who reads or hears this story for everything they have done to create the definition of freedom.
Claire Ouellette
Grade 5
Teague Park School
I think it’s interesting how different people define freedom. They are both similar and different in some ways. Most of them follow along one line of thought; the state of being free. Some people would say that this is a good definition of freedom; I beg to differ. I think freedom is more than just the state of being free, to me it means not having to listen to anyone and not being forced to give in to any demands. To do what you want to do.
Mr. Dean doesn’t think he is a hero because a hero, to him, is someone who was in combat. I believe that anyone who helped this country in any way is a hero. “To hop in my truck and go. To do what you wanna do and go where you want to go,” as the veteran I interviewed, Bill Dean, put it. William “Bill” Dean was a Spec. 5 troop leader who was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. He was 19 when he started Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in 1954. He retired three years later because he wanted to be with his wife.
I think it is very interesting that in such a limited amount of time, Mr. Dean opened up my eyes to how much effort people who served go through to give us freedom, and to keep us from being held down by the enemy. They keep us safe while they are out risking their lives. For that I say thank you to all the people that served at one point to make America free.
Aida Smith
Grade 7
Limestone Community School
Being born in the United States of America automatically entitles a citizen to freedom. Many do not realize the price that is stamped on freedom. It is a price many Americans have paid — more than you could pay for the most expensive piece of real estate, they payed for our freedom with their lives.
Although some do not know, there is still war going on right now. America is constantly having to uphold our freedom, and help our allies. To fulfill this need Americans keep answering the call to action and enlist in the military.
All of these fine men and women do not know the experiences that are ahead of them: some will be unrecognized for their actions, some will be heroes and some will simply be forgotten. Let us not forget these men and women, but honor each one of them.
I was privileged enough to interview one of these local veterans by the name of Mr. Dean Rauch. Mr. Rauch lives in Woodland.
Mr. Rauch was 21 when he enlisted in the Air Force. His first job was in November 1963, where he worked as a food service officer at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine. Next he was off to Vietnam working in hospital administration.
He remembers getting a call in his office from his commander, asking if he had a veterinarian on the base. Apparently, one of the Montagnard (indigenous mountain people) people’s elephants had an arrow in its leg from conflict. The Montagnard people had helped the Americans so the Americans were willing to help them. But Mr. Rauch’s veterinarian had not worked on anything bigger than a dog. Needing information about elephants, Mr. Rauch thought of a television show from when he was a kid, “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” and its host Marlin Perkins. So with some trouble getting his point across to the Vietnamese operators, Mr. Rauch called Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where Marlin Perkins was the head of at the time. He got the information, gave it to his veterinarian, got his veterinarian airlifted to the elephant’s location and saved the elephant. Disney’s movie “Operation Dumbo Drop” follows some of the principles that happened in Mr. Rauch’s account.
Mr. Rauch also recollects going in a C-5 Caribou to pick up an area evacuation of injured patients. Apparently when the plane landed it turned around but never stopped moving, for fear of getting shot at by the enemy, as nurses brought one patient after another into the plane. “It was exciting, but scary”, Mr. Rauch recalls. Another of Mr. Rauch’s jobs was to go to the mountain villages by helicopter to care for the wounded.
From Vietnam, Mr. Rauch stayed in the Air Force and traveled with his family to Arizona, New York City, South Carolina, Maine, and Texas. Mr. Rauch remembers, “My oldest daughter lived in 18 houses in 20 years”. At Loring Air Force Base, when Mr. Rauch was in Maine for the second time, he has the fond memory of his youngest daughter being born in the hospital that he was the head of.
Among Mr. Rauch’s memorabilia are his medals including a: Bronze Star, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palms, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign and Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon for being a part of the 14th Special Operations Wing. However, while Mr. Rauch pulled a man from the line of fire he got a piece of shrapnel in his leg, but never applied for the Purple Heart.
Mr. Rauch and many other veterans have fought for our country keeping the freedom we, as Americans, treasure so much. We should honor our veterans who have fought for our freedoms, putting their lives on the line, suffered, and yet most too modest to exploit their experiences. To me freedom is now not just a phrase all Americans know they have. It is something that has been fought for, earned and will have to be earned as long as the world is imperfect.
Thank you Mr. Rauch and all veterans, for you have truly made America, “… the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
Alden Wilcox
Grade 7
Caribou Middle School
Joe was 17 when WW II was nearing its decease, like every average 17-year-old in the 1940s he was afraid of the off chance of possibly getting drafted. So he left school his junior year, and enlisted in the U.S Navy. It was hard for him to leave, since he had never, up to this point, left Aroostook County before. He cited crying all the way to Houlton on his departure from his family, as it seemed like he would never see them again.
He was shipped to Boot Camp where he would spend the next six weeks of his life during basic military training. Joe kept in touch with his family by writing letters during boot camp. Six weeks later his basic training was complete, and Joe was stationed in Philadelphia where he worked on an aircraft carrier called the USS Antietam. In his free time he went out to the USO with friends he made in his unit.
After his time in Philadelphia was complete he went on the Antietam’s shakedown voyage in the east. Two years at war Joe and was able to leave the Navy, because he earned enough points (promotions) to leave early. He went back to high school, and graduated the class of ‘47.
He got married, and worked at jobs in places like Northern National Bank and the local Credit Union. At first he was a savings teller in the year 1958. Joe worked at the Credit Union for 30 years, retiring in 1988. This was one of his proudest accomplishments. When Joe started working at the Loring Credit Union they were worth $123,000, now the County Federal Credit Union is worth $4 million. Joe took pride in his work, and his marriage.
When I asked to interview Joe, he told me “Anything to help someone,” and he was very open to talk to me about his life in the military, and about being a veteran. His story touched me, and helped me to better understand why simply smiling at a veteran will make their day, and just by taking the time to talk to him about his story I know I’ve made a life-long friend.
Cameron Ouellette
Grade 8
Caribou Middle School
Veterans are this nation’s guardians. We have past and present ones, strong ones and weak ones, but they all played a key role in protecting the United States. The United States has 1.3 million soldiers fighting today, actively protecting, and helping right now. The United States has a strong military citizens can count on.
However, there are millions of veterans in the United States who have protected this country so selflessly in past wars. They live with the quiet burden of war on their shoulders. For some it is worse, for some it is not so bad. They live with the weight of the death they have caused. They live with the guilt of knowing that the innocent civilians were there for the same reason: to protect their country.
Be there for your local veterans, because they have protected you, so it’s your turn now. My question to you right now is, why haven’t you talked to a veteran? Have you ever asked them, “Are you OK?” or “Would you like to talk?” Your grandfather has always been there for you, helping you when you are hurt, or sick, talking after you’ve had a bad day at school. Why aren’t you there for him? Maybe your neighbor is a veteran. The one you have always ignored because he seems to be in a bad mood.
Chloe Sleeper
Grade 7
Caribou Middle School
A Veteran is a person who has served or is serving in a military force, especially those who have served in war. Do you ever wonder what a Veteran’s pride in their country looks like? Well, I’ve grown up with an American Veteran, my dad, Ryan. One thing is true, his American pride is strong.
The flag, our flag, is special to Veterans because they work and fight/fought, so our freedom symbol flows freely. They know how to respect our flag, our ensign. No matter where they are they feel our ensign’s enduring delight.
Can you imagine the memories a Veteran’s knowledge holds? They all bear memories we can only imagine. They have watched many die, many lose loved ones, and our country’s defeats and victories roll out.
Here, our country, America is the most unique and special to an American Veteran. Have you ever asked a Veteran about their country? If you have, you probably noticed how their eyes lit up, how they seemed brighter than the sun. This is probably because they are willing to fight, protect and possibly even perish for their country’s rights.
In closing, I am ecstatic that I live in America with a proud American Veteran. Veterans are my heros because I enjoy the freedoms they have earned us. So next time you run into a Veteran, be sure to show them the proper respect and gratitude for their dedication to our country, America.
Naomi Cote
Grade 7
Caribou Middle School
After interviewing my veteran I have learned that freedom is not just to be able to say what I want, or what I wear or what I want. No, freedom is being able to speak what I want and the way I want with no boundaries. I have learned that the reason we are free is not just because our Founding Fathers built our country on a good constitution allowing us to have basic rights. It is also because we have great men and women fighting for our independence.
I am very thankful for having met William “Bill” Dean. He taught me that the reason there is an “American Dream” is because we are an independent country. Veterans are the reason. Bill is now a big inspiration to me because he fought for our county. Some of his family continues to fight for us today.
Bill was in the Army for three years (19 when he went to war.) He fought in the Cold War, but was lucky enough to be stationed in Germany. He has a twin brother who also fought in the Army. Mr. Dean trained at Fort Jackson and went to basic in October 1954. Bill is a troop greeter to this day. He feels to be free is to be able to get into his pick-up truck and go where he wants.
William “Bill” Dean does not consider himself a hero but I believe he is.
Sierra Beaulieu
Grade 7
Limestone Community School
