Eighth-grade students from Stimson Middle School recently took part in a profound journey through history, traveling to Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale as part of a national project honoring United States veterans called Silent Heroes.

Social Studies teacher Karen Schmitt and 16 of her students were selected as one of only 61 classes nationwide to participate in this specialized research and recognition project. The program was developed by National History Day, a nonprofit education organization dedicated to “improving the teaching and learning of history.” Ms. Schmitt believes that a meaningful way for her students to learn about history is to find out about the people who lived it.

“When we talk about war in eighth grade, we always talk about casualties as numbers. But sometimes you have to humanize war and put names and faces to the numbers. And I thought this was a good opportunity for students to see the human side of the war, not just the technical, statistical side of the war,” explained Ms. Schmitt.

 

The history curriculum in eighth grade spans the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The class chose two local veterans who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II: Sergeant James F. McEnery, who started a business in Hempstead after leaving the military, and Platoon Sergeant Laurence E. Morvan, who lived in Huntington for most of his life.  Throughout the school year, they researched the early lives of the two veterans, their home front communities, and their military experiences using provided military records. They also researched their post-war lives including a chance to interview the veterans’ relatives.  

 

“They are learning about people who don’t have buildings or airports named after them but who played a huge role in the development of our society and freedoms,” said Ms. Schmitt. “I want them to see that every individual person matters and what you do matters in the big picture.” 

 

The class’s research will culminate in digital profiles they create for the Silent Heroes website, which honors American men and women who served their nation and lost their lives either in service to the United States or after living as veterans, preserving their stories for future generations.

 

The visit to Long Island National Cemetery served as the cornerstone of the project. Students gathered at the white marble headstones of Sgt. McEnery and Platoon Sgt. Morvan to read the eulogies they wrote based on their research. The ceremony concluded with the students placing flowers at the gravesites as a symbolic gesture of gratitude and remembrance.

 

Eighth grade student Sophia Robson admitted that we don’t often think about how others' experiences throughout history affect our life today. But what she learned while researching the life of Platoon Sgt. Morvan changed that. “I felt sympathy and understanding to see that this man—he could've been any of us. He had his own family, and he started over with a family after the war. In today's world, he could be our dad or our grandfather who participates in sacrificing for our country. He was another family member for someone, and he did this for us… I feel like we should aspire to be like these people,” said Sophia.

Special thanks to Michael Fehn, Administrative Officer at Long Island National Cemetery, for his assistance in coordinating this meaningful educational visit.

For more information on this story, visit National History Day, Silent Heroes, and Long Island National Cemetery.

 

 

Social Studies teacher Karen Schmitt and 16 of her students were selected as one of only 61 classes nationwide to participate in this specialized research and recognition project. 

 

 

Students gathered at the white marble headstones of Sgt. McEnery and Platoon Sgt. Morvan to read the eulogies they wrote based on their research.

 

 

The ceremony concluded with the students placing flowers at the gravesites as a symbolic gesture of gratitude and remembrance.

 

 

The class’s research will culminate in digital profiles they create for the Silent Heroes website, which honors American men and women who served their nation and lost their lives either in service to the United States or after living as veterans, preserving their stories for future generations.