February 9, 2022
Telling their stories St. Charles County Veterans Museum ‘Interview with Heroes’ program has high school students interviewing veterans about their service
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By Brett Auten The St. Charles County Veterans Museum is in the initial stages of a project that will not only unite generations but preserve stories. “Interview with Heroes – Our Military Veterans” teams local high school students with local veterans. The students will be interviewing veterans on video and the end result will not only be placed on the museum’s website but also sent to the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The Missouri Humanities Council has awarded a grant of $1,947 to the St. Charles County Veterans Museum in support of the project. The Missouri Humanities Council is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971. The grant is to purchase recording devices and equipment for the project. “This is a way to connect, be involved and learn,” Jim Higgins, a St. Charles County Veterans Museum Executive Board member, said. The museum is on the lookout for local high school students (preferably juniors and seniors) to do the interviews. The project will include pre-interview training and coaching by museum mentors. The videos will also include the student’s reaction as well. Garvis Pollard is a Vietnam veteran who is also a substitute teacher. He has paired with Higgins on the project. Pollard brought in
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Submitted photo The St. Charles County Veterans Museum has launched a new project called “Interview with Heroes – Our Military Veterans.” The museum will recruit and utilize local high school students to interview local veterans or their family members. Pictured above are the first two students to participate in the program, Sydney Gatewood and Joey Lane.
the program’s first members, Fort Zumwalt North students Sydney Gatewood and Joey Lane. “We are looking forward to getting started and getting more students involved,” Pollard said. “We are also looking for more veterans’ stories to be told. Some may think, ‘my story isn’t worth anything.’ But it is. Whether you served during wartime or peacetime. Or served outside the United States or home bound, your story will help others understand. For some (veteran) families, it’s kind of mysterious and maybe they are a little afraid to ask.” A corporate sponsorship would also help elevate the project.
“As it gets bigger we will need more manpower,” Higgins said. “Right now, I am kind of a ‘jack of all trades,’ but things like a video editor would be a welcome addition.” Located at 410 E. Elm Street in O’Fallon, the museum’s mission is to inspire, inform, and engage the residents of St. Charles County to honor the memories of St. Charles County Veterans who served the United States. The St. Charles County Veterans Museum is a 501C tax exempt, nonprofit organization and is the brainchild of the late Ralph Barrale. Barrale was a World War II See ‘STORIES’ page 2
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