By By Lavan Martin
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Atmore VFW Post 7016 will again return to local schools during School Year 2000-2001 with their "Veterans in School Program." Their objective is to assist teachers and school administrators with citizenship education and to introduce students to VFW student scholarship and contest programs. In addition, they will identify and honor an outstanding teacher at all levels, elementary, junior high, and high school.
Two veterans from the post, assisted by their ladies auxiliary, have volunteered, or have been assigned to assist and work with teachers and school administrators at A.C. Moore, Rachel Patterson, Escambia County Middle School, Escambia County High School, Escambia Academy, Huxford and Bratt Elementary, Earnest Ward Middle School, and Northview High School.
Veterans will share their military experiences at all grade levels and help younger children learn the Pledge of Allegiance and the proper way to handle the American Flag. The veterans will also introduce and promote the VFW Voice of Democracy (VOD) Scholarship Program to high school students and the VFW Youth Contest Program to junior high students. Students participating in the VOD Program will be asked to record on audio cassette a 3-5 minute original essay on the theme "What Price Freedom?" Student participating in the Youth Essay Contest will be asked to write an essay on the theme "What Does it Mean to be Patriotic?" Teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote America's history, traditions and institutions effectively with be recognized the the VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars care about education and want to become involved with citizenship education in the classrooms. After initial contact with school officials, the VFW veterans hope to assist teachers by providing a living history of their military service during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Somalia or any other campaign period. In addition, citizenship education programs provide support for our schools. As American citizens, we recognize our responsibility to defend the United States in time of war. What many Americans fail to realize is that we have a further duty – we must also defend our nation in time of peace. The VFW veterans can help in that defense by providing effective citizenship education programs.
Other local veterans who want to assist the VFW veterans in their Veterans in School Program can contact VFW Post veterans Joel Day (368-5637) or Lee (Lavan) Martin (368-8160 and become involved.