A Tribute: Part II

December 7, 1941: "a date which will live in infamy." Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, decimating most of the Pacific fleet, and America was finally at war. Draft notices began arriving at the homes of young men across the nation, and William, R.B., and James were among the first to ship out. Their mother, Verlie, had some small comfort in the fact that Ernie was still too young to enlist, and besides, with club feet, would the army really even want him? She watched her boys go and spent the next four years on her knees.

William joined the Army Air Force, the precursor to the U.S. Air Force, and received specialized training in Radio Operator and Mechanics School. He would become the radar operator in the big B-24 Bombers that flew over Rommel's tanks in North Africa and over the U-Boats in the Atlantic. R.B. joined the Army as an infantryman, and James joined the Navy as a pharmacist's mate. He would serve in the Pacific Islands, once getting stranded with a wounded sailor for 15 days as they watched their ship leave without them. It would be four years before the brothers saw each other again.

William left his sweetheart, Opal, behind in Kentucky, but their relationship took on a new intensity. Letters flew back and forth across the Atlantic as they professed their affection and attempted to sort out their differences against the backdrop of uncertainty created by world war. Opal began teaching school in Powell County and taking correspondence courses at Kentucky Wesleyan, earning her BA degree in the spring of 1945. After a bout with malaria, William's health began to decline, and eventually he was sent home for stateside duty, which was just fine with Opal. He was able to come home for a short leave during March of 1945, and they were married.

The spring of 1945 was eventful in other ways as well. President Roosevelt died at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia, leaving his successor, Harry Truman, to continue leading the war effort. On April 25, Russian and American troops, who had been making steady progress through German lines from the east and the west, linked up and cut Germany in half. Mussolini was executed and his body hung for display in Milan. Hitler, realizing the war was lost, committed suicide in his underground bunker in Berlin. The war in Europe had come to an end, but the war in the Pacific raged on. Ernie finally graduated from high school and by then, the Army had become much less picky about its new recruits. He was able to join the Army Transportation Corps, stationed aboard the USS Silverado in the Pacific. All of Verlie's boys were at war.

A few long months later, on September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered. The war was over, and the entire world breathed a sigh of relief. The boys who had shipped out four years earlier, full of fire and optimism, were returning as men: tired, victorious and ready to move on with their lives. These soldiers came home, married their sweethearts, had babies, and built their lives around the American Dream. Some of the boys never returned home at all, and many of the ones that did would refuse to discuss their experiences for decades, choosing to honor their fallen comrades with respectful silence.

My grandfather and the millions of men and women like him were heroes, not because of the medals pinned to their uniforms, but because when duty called, they answered. They did what they had to do, and they did it with perseverance, courage and honor. Then they came home, worked hard, raised their families, and lived God-fearing lives of quiet dignity. They represent the best of our national character. They are our veterans.

Ernie, R.B. and James at the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C, Sept 2, 2005. You can read the article here. (Photo by Sgt. Sara Wood)

A Tribute: Part I

Amid the deep gorges and sandstone cliffs of the Cumberland Plateau in Eastern Kentucky lies the town of Booneville, population 159. Named for frontiersman Daniel Boone, it sits along the south fork of the meandering brown waters of the Kentucky River and adjacent to the dense green timberland of the Daniel Boone National Forest. This rugged area was settled by gritty pioneers who had crossed the Cumberland Gap with land grants from Virgina. In Booneville and the other tiny communities that would eventually comprise Owsley County, these determined men and women built their cabins, raised their children, and slowly scraped out a living. This is where my grandfather, William Lee Venable, was born.

William was the eldest son of Matt and Verlie, salt-of-the-earth country folk who raised their six children to love God, Country, Family and Bluegrass music. He was a sickly child, perhaps because of the inexperience of his 17-year-old mother, perhaps because of the difficult conditions of living in Depression-era poverty in a drafty mountain cabin, but he was smart, he was hardworking, and he intended to make something of himself. William's serious nature made him the oddball among his fun-loving brothers, R.B, James and Ernie, but he also had a sharp wit which served him well when dealing with their pranks and good-natured jibes. He spent his time reading every book he could get his hands on and helping his mother manage the boys and his two younger sisters, Mavis and Vivian. In spite of their differences, the brothers were close. Life was hard, and in the backwoods of Kentucky, sometimes family was all you had.

William graduated with honors from his tiny one-room high school and with the encouragement of his teachers, headed off to Berea College and later, Lees College in the nearby city of Jackson. College was an unusual opportunity for a farmer's son with no money and no connections. He had nothing but a nickel in his pocket, faith in God and a desire to succeed. It was at Lees that William met shy, pretty Opal Adams. The valedictorian of her high school senior class, Opal was also the eldest of six siblings and had grown up in the hills of nearby Powell County. The two had a lot in common and eventually, they became sweethearts.

In the spring of 1941, America was just coming out of the Depression. FDR was President, Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart were box office stars, McDonald's began selling its first million burgers, and Germany invaded Russia. With the looming threat of war and few job prospects, William accepted a position as a school teacher back home in Owsley County. Teaching was a common occupation for educated young men and women at that time- all you needed was two years of college- but it was a job which did not particularly suit his temperament or his ambition. It was going to be a very long year. Meanwhile, America watched in fascinated horror as Hitler's troops marched unimpeded across Europe on two fronts. The question on everyone's mind was, "Will America enter the war?" The families of young men like William, R.B., James and Ernest anxiously held their breath.

To be continued...

Why Teach History?

"If a nation expects to be both ignorant and free . . . it expects what never was and never will be."

Thomas Jefferson

One of the things I've noticed among homeschoolers is that people tend to be either "science" people or "history" people. The reason I noticed this difference in the first place is because on different occasions, I've had "science" mothers from our homeschool co-op come to me wondering why I assign so much history in my classes. This always seemed odd to me, especially when compared to the science classes, which easily assigned as much or more work than what I had assigned. To be fair, it's not that they don't think history is important; it just doesn't seem to be as important or as necessary as other studies. Yesterday, one mom explained to me, "These kids have to be ready for the SAT, which is mainly science and math and writing. They need that to get into a good school."

It's an interesting comment in light of a recent study done by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute entitled, "Failing Our Students, Failing America" which asks the question, "Is American higher education doing its duty to prepare the next generation to maintain our legacy of liberty?" Suzanne Fields commented on the report in a recent column:

"Civic literacy" is found to be declining at some of our finest (and most expensive) colleges and universities. Many graduates leave college with less knowledge of American history, government, foreign affairs and economics than when they entered as freshmen...

"Though a university education can cost upwards of $200,000 and college students on average leave campus $19,300 in debt," the report concludes, "they are no better off than when they arrived in terms of acquiring the knowledge necessary for informed engagement in a democratic republic and global economy." (italics mine)

USA Today picked up the story and noted,

"The study from the non-profit Intercollegiate Studies Institute shows that less than half of college seniors knew that Yorktown was the battle that ended the American Revolution or that NATO was formed to resist Soviet expansion. Overall, freshmen averaged 50.4% on a wide-ranging civic literacy test; seniors averaged 54.2%, both failing scores if translated to grades.

"In general, the better a college's U.S. News & World Report ranking, the less its civic literacy gain."

Apparently, Harvard seniors had the highest scores at 69%, but the study points out that this is still only a D+. Our best schools may be turning out educated scientists and entrepreneurs, but it seems that they are not turning out educated citizens.

Fields' column concludes,

"The study ... was aptly titled, "Failing Our Students, Failing America." Thomas Jefferson knew that education was essential for the republic to remain strong. He wrote that the purpose of education was to "enable every man to judge for himself what will secure or endanger his freedom." That was crucial in his 18th century, and it's crucial in our own 21st. We forget at our peril."

And that's why I teach history. My kids may not learn it anywhere else.

Want to take the quiz that stumped the best and the brightest from Yale and Princeton? You can find it here.

Hat tip to Why Homeschool and Right on the Left Coast

Another Year Done!

Done, done, done: co-op is done for another year!! (***Doing a happy dance***) Another three weeks, and school will be officially OUT for us. We have worked so hard this year... time for a break!

My 8th/9th grade history class had their final today. This year we studied the 20th century, which in many ways was new territory for me. The only 20th century topics I can remember studying in school were civil rights and women's rights ad nauseum. I picked up other bits and pieces of 20th century history along the way because I enjoy history, but this year, I was finally able to put all the pieces together to see the big picture. It was fascinating, if a little depressing. It was also a little weird to teach things that I personally remember, like the fall of the Berlin Wall. That's already ancient history to these kids! Sigh. Want to test your own knowledge? Here's a portion of their Final dealing with the Cold War (answers are below):

Fill in the blanks:

Near the end of WWII, the Allied leaders, ____________________ from the United States, ____________________ from the USSR and ________________________ from Great Britain gathered at the _____________ Conference to decide what to do after the war. They made many important decisions. They decided to form an organization called the________________ _____________ to help keep future peace. Unlike the League of Nations, which had been formed after WWI, the US joined this new organization, which could raise an army from its members to enforce its decisions. They also decided to divide up the country of Germany into four zones. The countries of France, Great Britain, ___________________ and ______________________ would each control one zone. The goal was to fix up the country and then unite the zones into one new country. Other places were also divided, such as some of Japan’s colonies. For example, Korea was divided on the _______ parallel. The USSR controlled __________ Korea and the United States controlled __________ Korea.

After WWII, the _______________________and the ___________ were the two most powerful countries in the world. In fact, they were nicknamed Superpowers. These two countries were very different. The USSR was a _______________ government, meaning that all social and economic activity was controlled by the State. (They became this way after a man named ___________ led a revolution during WWI and overthrew Czar ________________. The new form of government was based on the ideas of a man named ___________.) In contrast, the US government was a _________________ (where people vote) and had an economic system called _______________ in which private individuals and businesses have the right to own, trade and produce goods in a free market.

The US and USSR became enemies. Roughly half the world was on the side of the US and half was on the side of the USSR. The countries on the US' side formed an alliance called _________ and the countries on the USSR’s side formed an alliance called the _____________ ______________. In order to help make sure countries joined their alliance, the US gave billions of dollars to Western Europe in an economic recovery plan called the ___________ ___________ which was named after _____________ _______________. Although the US and USSR were enemies, they never fought each other. This period of conflict and competition between the two Superpowers and their allies was called the ______ ______. They were both afraid of each other because both had _________ ____________.

Meanwhile, three of the countries controlling Germany combined their zones in 1949 to form the Federal Republic of Germany, which was also called _________ Germany. The USSR did not want to relinquish its control in Germany and formed the German Democratic Republic, which was also called __________ Germany. Many Germans did not want to live under the Soviet style of government and tried to flee to the other half of the country. In order to stop this flood of refugees, a barrier called the ___________ _________ was built, dividing Germany. Germany remained divided until _______.

Answers:

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Yalta, United Nations, USA & USSR, 38th, North, South

USA & USSR, communist, Lenin, Nicholas II, Marx, democracy, capitalism

NATO, Warsaw Pact, Marshall Plan, George Marshall, Cold War, nuclear weapons

West, East, Berlin Wall, 1989

Remember

Tomorrow, November 11, is Veterans Day. Having spent the last several weeks studying World War I history in depth for the first time in my life, I have a new-found appreciation for the history of Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, and the sacrifice of the soldiers which it honors.

World War I, also known as "The Great War" and "The War to End All Wars", literally changed the face of Europe, decimating old countries and creating new ones. It saw some of the deadliest battles recorded in history, with over 1.4 million soldiers dead and hundreds of thousands wounded. This was the first war to use modern technology: flamethrowers, barbed wire, machine guns, chemical weapons, aircraft, and tanks. Armies dug enormous trenches across the continent, losing hundreds of men for every few yards gained. Eventually, Europe reached a stalemate across the Western Front. Russia, an Allied country, faced a revolution at home as Czar Nicholas II (Anastasia's father) was overthrown by Lenin and the Bolsheviks. Russia was forced to withdraw from the war, abandoning the countries in the East to the Central Powers.

Americans watched the war anxiously, but the prevailing opinion was that this war was a European problem. Two important events helped galvanize Americans into action: the sinking of a civilian ocean liner, the Lusitania, by a German U-boat and the discovery of a covert plan by Germany to enlist Mexico's aid, in exchange for a large chunk of the American southwest after German victory. The tide of the war turned as General John J. Pershing and American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) arrived on the Western Front in 1917. The Allied Counteroffensive finally brought this war of horrors to a close at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month: November 11, 1918.

In 1919, this solemn anniversary became unofficially known as "Armistice Day". Red poppies became popular as a memorial symbol after the publication of Canadian Lt. John McCrae's poem, In Flanders Fields, written on the battlefield of Ypres, in Flanders, Belgium:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Here's more on America's few surviving WWI Veterans.

Tomorrow, take a moment... and remember.

Election Day

I love Election Day. It's fascinating to me to see our constitution in action as voters line up at polling booths, activists jam the phone lines, the airwaves and the street corners, and the news media freely covers the events with an awkward blend of truth and "spin". Tonight, John and I will watch the election returns late into the evening to see who won. It's a popcorn-worthy event. And tomorrow, regardless of who wins, we'll get up and go about our daily business just like always. Our governnment will not be overthrown by armed rebels during the night and people who vote today will not be dragged from their beds and shot. Our Constitution works. I am amazed at the genius of our country's founders and thankful for Godly leaders today who still believe in their vision. I am thankful for our soldiers who give their lives to defend democracy in America and in lands far away. And even though patriotism has become unfashionable in some circles, I still believe in the dream of "liberty and justice for all". I am proud to vote for that dream.

George Washington

Tomorrow is George Washington's birthday. George Washington is one of my heroes- not only because he defined our American Presidency, but also because he was a man of enormous integrity and honor. He was a person who understood the calling of duty and the necessity of perseverance. He loved God, his country and his family.

Washington knew the humiliation of failure and the sweet taste of victory. He experienced both praise and scorn from those he led in battle. He felt despair in the face of certain defeat and indecision during times when he desperately needed clear direction. He cared deeply for the men who served under his command and he served his country at great personal sacrifice. He was a reluctant President, in a time when no one one knew what a President should be. In fact, he easily could have become a dictator for the remainder of his life, but he acknowledged the duty God had given him and led this new country to solid ground with the constitutional freedoms we enjoy today.

In God's perfect wisdom, George Washington was the right person in the right place at a very critical time. He was a great man and a God-fearing man, and he is my hero. Happy Birthday, Mr. Washington!

"The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the Great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored."
George Washington, in a letter to Samuel Langdon, September 28, 1789

(If you want to learn more about George Washington, the book "1776" by David McCullough is excellent!)