PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — History is a memory for Ben Asquith, and decades after he stormed Omaha beach — blowing up German fortifications and sidestepping fellow fallen soldiers — he can still remember the thoughts that ran through that young man’s head.
“My main thought at the time was this is what we trained for,” Asquith recalls. “You train and train and train and this is what we trained to do.”
On Thursday, 76 years after Pearl Harbor started World War II, Asquith told his story to students at Dayton High School, teaching a history lesson that no book could even hope to convey. For Asquith, it’s a chance to provide context and personal experience to the Great War, which is exactly the goal of Veteran’s Legacies. It’s a new effort by the group, called “The Mighty Endeavor,”which aims to utilize veterans and their stories to document World War II.
“That brings history to life,” said Mark Browning. “That makes it real that makes it more interesting and that also makes it more impactful.”
Students hear veterans stories, ask questions and write what they’ve learned. Their words are documented so stories like Asquith’s are never forgotten.
You can learn more about the Veteran’s Legacies project The Mighty Endeavor here.
Views: 21
