Honoring those who fought

Fox River students learn a lesson in heroism

By Patricia Bogumil

Editor

A lot of kids these days mostly know about war from playing video games.

And while this may have been true a few months ago for many students at Fox River Middle School in Waterford, it is no longer the case.

An all-school trip Dec. 5 to watch the documentary film “Honor Flight” at the Ridge Cinema complex in New Berlin touched the hearts and minds of these middle schoolers, and also served as a call to action.

“Honor Flight” chronicles a day in the life of a group of World War II veterans taking a free flight to Washington D.C. to visit the war memorials as part of the national Honor Flight Network.

At school Dec. 14, several seventh graders spoke to a reporter about the experience.

Watching the movie was “a bit like learning with your heart instead of your head for once,” said Justin Pankowski.

“It was very emotional,” agreed Katiann Nelson. “It kind of made it real for us,” added Keegan Northrop.

Before viewing the movie Dec. 5, they and other high-ability-level seventh graders had researched and then crafted a 30-minute background lesson for all Fox River students to watch.

On students’ return to school Dec. 5, Fox River also hosted a visit by World War II Air Force veteran Duane Thorsen, 87, of Oconomowoc, whose grandchildren, Megan and Nick Draheim, attend Fox River.

Thorsen and his daughter, Susan Draheim, watched “Honor Flight” with the boys at the Ridge; the Fox River girls viewed the movie down the hall that day in a different Ridge theater.

Susan Draheim said that you could hear a pin drop in the theater, although there was also occasional quiet sniffling from tearing up.

Two years ago, Thorsen flew on an Honor Flight and he spoke to the students about his experiences and insights, then stayed for lunch to continue the discussion.

“He had a line of kids waiting to shake his hand,” said social studies teacher Janita Underly. “It was like he was a celebrity!” agreed fellow teacher, Kevin Wilde.

Shortly after, students also helped organize a one-day “penny wars” drive that, at day’s end, collected nearly enough money to send two veterans on an Honor Flight in 2013 – which made some students upset.

“We had kids upset because they forgot to bring in their money, and they asked to extend it one more day,” explained Wilde, chuckling.

So, the penny wars ramped up for another run, totaling enough to cover the costs for two-and-a-half veterans. Staff then kicked in the final monies to honor Principal Darlene Markle’s father, a WWII veteran and former Honor Flight attendee, who died that same week.

At school, the money drive was characterized by kids determinedly clearing out their piggy banks ­– not just asking for money from their parents – although many family members were eager to participate. “My little brother gave me quarters,” said Northrop.

Besides showing that kind of support, the seventh-graders also wrote holiday cards and crafted ornaments for the veterans living in the veterans center in Milwaukee.

Teachers had expected the “Honor Flight” movie experience to tie in well with a unit taught each year on World War II as part of European history, according to Wilde, Underly and fellow teacher Beth Kurz.

“This went above and beyond anything we would have expected,” said Wilde.

“This whole journey has been just outstanding,” agreed Markle.