Absorbing the lessons of war
PLUMMER – AT FIRST GLANCE, the yellow stars swaying above student desks look like simple decorations in Brad Veile’s social studies class at Lakeside High School.
But looking closer, each reveals a casualty, a date and a home state. Sometimes they spin, slowly, and reveal another.
Veile began pinning the stars to his classroom ceiling last year to honor fallen soldiers who were serving in Iraq. He finished pinning summer casualties last week, covering nearly half the classroom overhead.
“Whether you agree with the war or not, these individuals are American citizens who have chosen this call of duty and need to be respected for what they have done,” Veile said. “Their families are hurting because of the sacrifices they gave.”
Most are from the United States, but a few are set off with flags from other nations: the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Idaho casualties are marked with black on each point.
Relatives or acquaintances of anyone in the school are bordered with red. The only red-bordered star hangs in the back of the room for Veile’s great-nephew, who died when a remote-controlled mine detonated the Humvee he was driving.
By the end of last school year, Veile had tacked up stars with 1,098 names. Those have come down, and Veile will start fall quarter with 75 stars, representing fatalities since Memorial Day.
He checks the Internet daily for new names, which come sporadically, depending on the amount of activity overseas.
Veile said students were impressed with the number of stars last year. Some would “space out,” staring at the stars during class. But Veile said he didn’t mind; kids are still learning about current events and becoming aware of increasing casualties in Iraq.
“You can throw out ‘1,098 killed,’ but what does that mean? The representation on the ceiling brings that home,” Veile said. “It’s somewhat of a face.”
Other teachers also took an interest and were stopping to see how many soldiers had fallen so far. Kathy Lacy, a career counselor for the school, said the stars are a clear “reality check” for students and teachers alike.
“Last year, when it was totally covered … we were kind of getting involved in the casualties and what was happening,” she said.
Kevin Davis, who teaches advanced social studies, will have some of Veile’s students in his class this year. He said they’ll come in with a better understanding of his curriculum, which spans from 1960 to the present. Students will better relate to similar events, such as the Vietnam War, he said.
“It’s great what he’s doing by acknowledging our veterans,” Davis said. “Every kid that goes in there, that’s the first thing they look at.”
Veile said the stars have gained more significance because several former students are part of the recent Idaho National Guard call-up. He plans to continue hanging stars until the United States pulls out of Iraq.
“Hopefully, this is it,” he said. “The fewer the better.”