World War II Veteran Helped This BRI Teacher Council Member Teach Civics

By Juan Armijo

The primary learning intention in my classroom is to prepare students to be responsible and active members of their community. In the classroom, my responsibility is to provide students with the knowledge, tools, and steps regarding the basics of civics and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.  Success in the classroom comes in many different forms and as I learned many times, in unexpected and different formats.

My grandfather served in Europe during World War II. As a teacher, I always emphasized this period in our nation’s history as being a model period for civic involvement and responsibility. Growing up, as with most veterans of the war, my grandfather never spoke about what he experienced both at the conclusion of the war and the year he spent afterward in Germany. In the classroom, when discussing civics and the responsibilities of paying taxes, we discuss serving on juries and registering for selective service, as many of my students are already experiencing through their jobs and when male students turn 18. 

I spoke with a friend of mine, and he told me one of his friends from church had a father who was a World War II veteran. I asked if the father was willing to speak to one of my classes about his experiences. He agreed, so I decided to also invite the class next door to mine. He informed the students this was the first time he had spoken about his war experiences, except for with his son. He was quite emotional and the story he told was an example of civic involvement and responsibility to our nation. 

Charlie (the veteran) joined the U.S. Army in 1944, when he was 17. He went through quick basic training, became a combat medic, and was shipped to England. He said his first time in war was on D-Day in 1944 when he arrived in one of the waves. He then talked about crossing Europe and the events and people during wartime in France.

Charlie said he spent that Christmas in the Battle of Bulge. His unit entered Germany during the surrender of the Nazis and by the summer of 1945, his unit was put on a ship in preparation for the invasion of Japan. He tearfully told us of the day they were told while en route to Japan that Japan surrendered and the war was over. He spoke of duty, survival, and being a witness to the bad things in history. To me, Charlie was a proud example of having a successful event in my classroom. 

The students were in awe. They could not believe someone their age went through that experience and came back to live the rest of his life with a career and raising a family. Charlie told me he would come back, but sadly we were shut down the next school year at the time he was going to return, and he passed away during the pandemic.

I videotaped his talk that day to show my future students. An individual recounting what they did in service to their country is the ultimate example of civic responsibility, and my students were fortunate to hear this firsthand.

Juan Armijo teaches social studies at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, N.M. He is also a member of the Bill of Rights Institute National Teacher Council.