Elementary school students gained a new appreciation for veterans who visited their classrooms to share stories and answer questions. Two teams fanned out to visit four Edgefield County schools over a three-day period during the week of April 21-25, 2025. Members of Hezzie Griffis American Legion Post 30 in Edgefield, S.C., read aloud from books like "What is a Veteran, Anyway?", "What Does It Mean to Be an American?" and "Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhoods."
Across the four schools, the students were eager to share their own real-life knowledge of or experience with veterans in their own family or neighborhoods. Hands shot into the air as the teams began reading, with students excited to ask questions or share their comments. The students were enthralled with the stories, but within 15 minutes were wiggling as kids do when compelled to sit.
Commander Winston Boddie and Adjutant Jane Doolittle visited classrooms at W.E. Parker Elementary and Merriwether Elementary. Students at W.E. Parker buzzed with excitement as Doolittle settled into her chair to read. In a similar experience to veterans, the students recounted eating MREs after Hurricane Helene, describing how they “squished” the bags to warm them. At Merriwether Elementary the students showed impressive knowledge of the U.S. services, naming all but the Space Force. When Boddie read that deployed soldiers often take cold showers from a “water buffalo” tank, one student shouted, “I take cold showers!”
Chaplain William Beaver, an active-duty U.S. Army chaplain, and Legionnaire Dr. Bruce Mears, spent time at Johnston Elementary and Wardlaw Academy. Beaver wore his duty uniform and combat vest and helmet, allowing students to try on the gear as he taught them that men and women can serve in all sorts of jobs in the military. Mears showed pictures of his helicopter and the dog who went to war with him, teaching students that animals can also be veterans. At Wardlaw Academy the student’s curiosity shone through with questions like, “What is war?” “Do our soldiers get in lines to fight these days?” “When you went to war, did you ever put a bomb inside of a large rat and throw it in where the enemy was?”.
Before the teams departed, students rushed forward with hugs all around. In total, the teams connected with almost 100 students, giving each a goody bag filled with an American Legion comic book, an "America the Beautiful" coloring book and crayons.
