ANACONDA — Most students learn about the Vietnam War from history books, but some honors students from Anaconda are learning about that war from the men who actually fought it — and they’re going to record their stories for future generations.
“That was 60 years ago, and I was getting ready to graduate and, a few months later, I went into the Marine Corps,” said Marine veteran Bill Beausoleil.
Watch the full story:
Beausoleil was among a group of Vietnam veterans from the Smelter City sharing their stories to Anaconda High School juniors recently to give them boots-on-the-ground accounts of what happened over there.
“I think for them, they know what’s going on, they’re getting it from first-hand people who were there. And I’m glad they’re interested because when it was over back then, it was not very interesting,” said Army veteran Jeff Frank.
Anaconda High teachers Megan Casey and Erin Hansen want their students to record these stories for a book that will tell the stories of these men.
“While they may look at things like the Vietnam War as being history, that they aren’t necessarily in the distant past,” said Anaconda High teacher Erin Hansen.
Students interviewed men like Bill Willing, who was a helicopter gunship pilot in the war.
“We only flew when things were bad as gun pilots, you know, medevac missions, troops are being, you know, attacked,” said Willing.
Student Grace Galle took pictures of the veterans for the publication.
“It opens up a whole new viewpoint of the war, being able to see the effect it had on all these people and just the emotions they have and to see what they’re going through,” said Galle.
The veterans say they hope the young people will learn from their experience so they never have to go through the horror of war.
“Hopefully they go away with the option of not repeating history again; they’ll know how to avoid it. No one wants peace more than a soldier, John — no one,” said Willing.
