The Elder Statesman

In light of current events, World War II must seem like ancient history to students now in high school.

This year marks the 62nd anniversary of the end of the war, but to a World War II veteran, it happened yesterday.

That is why teachers like Brian Young of Roseburg High School understand the difference between a student just reading about events and hearing about them firsthand from those who fought.

For the fourth year, Brian and his colleagues who teach social studies are bringing living history into the classroom May 24. World War II veterans will become part of Living History Day on campus as they share stories during the hourlong class periods.

Veterans who took part in that war are in their twilight years, and the Veterans Administration projects about 414,000 veterans will die this year, or about 1,135 a day.

In my mind, that means there is an urgency to capturing their living history. Brian encourages the vets to bring pictures, memorabilia, medals and personal items from the war years.

It seemed odd that I, as a World War II vet, got Brian’s invitation to participate this year on the same date I received a letter from Edward Pierce of Neshanic Station, N.J., a cattle rancher who raises Simmentals on his ranches in New Jersey and in Lookingglass, Ore.

Pierce knew from my columns that I was a history buff and sent me a copy of a letter sent to him by Scott Corbett, who as a sergeant with the 420 Division, was one of the first soldiers to liberate Dachau Concentration Camp in the town of Dachau, 10 miles northwest of Munich in southern Germany.

Dachau was a concentration camp where such atrocities that occurred have come to symbolize the Nazi concentration camps to many people.

For young students, it should become real enough so that it will never happen again in human history. Corbett, who died a year ago, described in vivid detail what he saw there in a letter he wrote to his wife, Elizabeth, on May 1, 1945.

A copy of that letter eventually was sent to Pierce for safekeeping. Pierce said it is now part of the national archives. For Corbett, it was living history.

Quoting from the letter: "Nothing could adequately describe the incredible horrors of the place. The first thing we saw, on a railroad siding along side the camp, were some 45 box cars filled with dead who had been penned up in there to starve to death. They were little more than skeletons with skin on them."

That letter is part of the history of World War II.

Another veteran, Leo Kraft of Roseburg, a World War II machine gunner, sat in the rear cockpit of a Dauntless dive bomber in some of the fiercest air combat in the Pacific. For his heroics, he was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine Air Medals.

The much-decorated Marine when he arrived on Guadalcanal was barely older than the students he will speak to in this living history project.

He said twice this year he has been called to speak about his World War II experiences to Umpqua Community College students in Roseburg.

He will also be at the high school living history class on May 24.

Perhaps if young people hear the stories of those who lived that history and understand that war is not about glory, but about death, their generation will only experience it vicariously.

(Bill Duncan can be reached by writing to P.O. Box 812, Roseburg, OR 97470)