The National Veterans Freedom Park
Veterans Education Outreach

The NVFP Staff Goes Back to School

In February 2008, Dave Milidonis and Bob Matthews went back to school. Invited by Russell Page, Cary High School history teacher, Bob and Dave spoke at the Lessons on Vietnam class about the NVFP veterans' oral history and records restoration projects. Students were instructed on the interview process, utilizing the pilot training program developed by the NVFP staff.

On the immediate Saturday following class, students joined the NVFP staff and members of the Raleigh Elks Lodge for the interviewing and recording sessions sponsored by the lodge and the NVFP on that day. One student ended the day saying, "I learned more about our history in just this one day than I have in any of my classes." Several days later, a parent of another attending Cary HS student called our office saying, "My son can’t stop talking about that Saturday. When is the next session so I can come too!"

Beginning with Cary High School, the pilot program has now expanded to over a dozen schools across the State. The NVFP is now scheduling teacher and student training sessions for participating schools and, with the assistance of the Elks in each community, will schedule veterans interviews days in each participating community on the weekends following the classes, providing the students and teachers an opportunity to immediately apply their newly acquired skills.