Veterans Give Students Real-Life Lessons On Korean War
BY KAREN BERGER — MIRROR REPORTER
Steven Barnes knew that his grandfather had been in the Marines during the Korean War, but it wasn’t until a class project at Anthony Wayne Junior High School that he learned some of the details.
Although he was trained as a mapmaker, Roy Barnes helped fill the shortage of men in the Marine infantry. He ended up staying three years, 11 months and five days in Korea – longer than the war itself.
Roy fought in four major battles including Inchon Landing and Chosin Reservoir, where many soldiers froze to death. The men slept in 18-inch-deep foxholes that, at six feet long, were big enough for two people.
“It was so cold at night that sometimes their guns would freeze. They would see the enemies coming and they would pray the Chinese wouldn’t see them,” Steven said.
Roy and the six other veterans from the Northwestern Ohio Korean War Veterans Post 131 are primary resources for language arts students who will write papers and give oral reports on the 1950-53 war, said teacher Kathy Schoonmaker.
“We don’t have any Medal of Honor winners or POWs here, but they were all there,” Schoonmaker said. “These guys were out there freezing and dying. They were the only ones to successfully stop Communism from spreading.”
At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation.
Rival governments were soon established, relationships became strained and, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Two days later, President Harry Truman authorized the use of forces in Korea, and a week later 15 other nations joined with the U.S. under Gen. Douglas MacArthur as supreme commander.
Over 54,000 U.S. troops were lost and 130,000 wounded during the war, Army veteran Leonard Tomasik said.
“I want (students) to appreciate what Americans did to keep freedom around the world,” Schoonmaker said.
Each teen prepared questions for the veterans – on topics such as POW camps, M.A.S.H. units and the relationship between President Truman and Gen. MacArthur. But many of them also heard anecdotes that brought the history to life.
Armed with a mess kit, uniform and a notebook filled with black and white photos, Army veteran Glenn Cousino shared humorous stories – of eating pickled pigs feet and popcorn while on base, or how to use his one allotted square of toilet paper most efficiently. Or the time he was patrolling camp during the 4:00 to 8:00 a.m. shift and fell asleep atop a 10-foot mound.
“My helmet fell off and rolled down the hill. The Koreans yelled up, ‘Hey Joe, you fall asleep!” he laughed.
Bob Fuller joined the Army at age 16, and recalled being in the mountains of Korea watching the Chinese coming at him with bugles, drums and guns and thinking, ‘I should be at homecoming right now.’”
The stories provided a deeper understanding for Steven Barnes and his classmates.
“I didn’t know much about the Korean War, but I like learning about it,” he said.
For several years, Schoonmaker had students work with World War II veterans on a project until Tomasik contacted her.
“The veterans all said that no one talked about it,” she said. “For many of the veterans, the first few years they visited Anthony Wayne Junior High was the first time they spoke about their experiences. I asked them why they didn’t talk about it.’’
One reason was the indifference they received upon their return. Schoonmaker recalls a veteran telling her how he returned home in uniform and knocked on the door of his best friend’s home to say hello.
“The mother told him to come back in a half hour – they were watching I Love Lucy,” she said. “He went home and took off his uniform and didn’t go back. He realized that no one cared. That was the story that really made me want to teach this lesson to the kids.”
Over the past several years of working with the Korean War veterans, students have raised money, contributing $6,600 in 2003 toward a $50,000 Korean War Veterans’ Memorial in downtown Toledo. Their donation is recognized by a plaque at the base of the memorial.
Now the veterans are providing a $1,000 scholarship to any graduating senior who has been through the project.
“They’ve become our friends,” Schoonmaker said.
Other veterans participating in the project this year were Larry Kish, Army; Tom Baranoski, Air Force; and John Schlotz, Marines.
AW Senior Mark Chaka Nominated To Attend West Point
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur nominated Mark V. Chaka, an Anthony Wayne High School senior, to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
“His record of academic achievement and community involvement shows outstanding leadership potential,” Kaptur said.
Mark was also named as an alternate nominee to the Naval, Air Force, and Merchant Marine academies.
Qualifications for admission to the academies include school records, ACT or SAT scores, recommendations from school officials, extracurricular activities, and other evidence of character, leadership potential, academic aptitude and achievement and physical fitness.
“I would like to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to earn a high-quality education and to proudly serve my country as an officer in the United States Army,” Chaka said in his application for a nomination. “Ultimately, this will better enable me to pursue a career in government service.”
The monetary value of a four-year education at a U.S. military service academy is an estimated $350,000.
Mark hopes to know within the next few months whether he is accepted into West Point. He has made several cuts as the academy whittles the original 10,000 applications to about 1,200, he said.
Upon graduation and receipt of his commission, he must serve at least eight years on active duty in the Army. He plans to specialize in infantry or intelligence.
When Mark was a youngster at Monclova Primary, his parents were impressed when he could spell out his dream career – paleontologist. But by eighth grade, Mark said he was impressed by his uncle’s military career and leadership and became interested in a military path.
Throughout high school his leadership potential has been obvious to his peers and teachers.
“Mark is a natural-born leader. His classmates look up to him because he has character. He impressed me from the first day of school this year, in that he exudes self-confidence in everything he does,” said honors government teacher Jason W. Apgar. “What separates Mark from others is that he is not only an outstanding student, he is also an outstanding person. His teachers, friends and fellow students all know this and gravitate toward him because of it.”
Mark was elected class president each of the past three years. He’s also served as Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership ambassador and Youth Leadership Toledo representative.
Last summer he was the mayor of his mock city at Buckeye Boys State and received the Governor’s Excellence Award and $1,000.
“I was invited back to be a counselor this summer,” Mark said.
Mark is a member of the National Honor Society and played football all four years, switching from wide receiver to offensive guard this past season.
Mark is the son of Bryan and Kathy Chaka and has two older siblings – Mike, who is attending medical school at Wright State University, and Katie, who is attending California State University, Northridge.
These are sample articles that ran in The Mirror Newspaper.
To see what else you've been missing . . .
