Photo By Sgt. Maria Kappell | Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 69th Air Defense Artillery...... read more read more
FORT HOOD, Texas — Soldiers from the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in events reflecting upon 9/11 with students from Charles E. Patterson Middle School in Killeen Sept. 11.
There were several activities happening throughout the week that led up to the final activity, the Freedom Walk, on Sept. 11.
Soldiers provided power-point presentations with photos from the happenings of 9/11, and they shared their stories with the students about how 9/11 impacted them, said SheWanda Blackman, the Campus-Curriculum Instructional Specialist for the school.
The sixth, seventh and eighth graders from the school, along with Dr. Charles E. Patterson, the retired superintendent of the Killeen Independent School District, and the Boys and Girls Club participated in the Freedom Walk which consisted of marching to the cafeteria with United States flags in hand, Blackman added.
The walk was originally planned to be outside, but due to the inclement weather it was confined to the indoors which gave the Soldiers a little more time to socialize with the students.
"I was honored to be with these Soldiers and observe their positive interactions with the students. The students loved them. They asked them questions, joked with them, gave them high-fives and expressed a great appreciation to them for coming to their school," said Dr. Charles E. Patterson, a retired superintendent of the Killeen Independent School District and current educational consultant.
"Events like Freedom Walks are very important and are nutrients to the souls of both young and old. Events of such nature help us to remember history without reading the book," Blackman said.
Since the students of Patterson Middle School were almost all under 5 years old when the 9/11 tragedy happened, it makes it challenging for them to relate to the event. However, the Soldiers' presence in the school seemed to spark an interest because it brought the history closer to home.
"The presence of the Soldiers greatly added to the impact on the students, I believe," Patterson said.
One of the activities that the students conducted was a writing prompt that reflected on the events of 9/11, Blackman said.
"I felt sad and angry about what happened on that day the terrorists attacked America," said Jarrod Anderson, a sixth grader from Patterson Middle School in his writing prompt that addressed the feelings that the students felt when hearing about the attacks.
In another writing question that asked students what they were thankful for Isaiah Barker, a seventh grade student at the school wrote, "I am thankful for freedom, food, education and my family."
Events like 9/11 shape the history that molds America into the country that it is today, and "it shows the unity and strength we have as a country," Blackman said.
The Soldiers sparked some excitement and insight in the students of Patterson Middle School and everyone who was involved in the activities that were held throughout the week of Sept. 11.
"All of us need to participate in events that remind us of the price of freedom," Patterson said. "[The activities on Sept. 11] caused me to be very aware of the American spirit- how out of tragedy can come a renewal of our need to be thankful, vigilant, and involved. Watching these young people interact with the Soldiers, I felt a special pride in our country," he added.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2009 11:24 |
| Story ID: | 39178 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 200 |
This work, Soldiers and students remember 9/11, by SGT Maria Kappell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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