In the spring of 2008, eighth graders at HTMMA took part in a National Veterans Storytelling project, Stories of Service, creating digital videos to convey the wartime experiences of San Diego veterans. After exhibiting their videos in San Diego’s Balboa Park, they journeyed to Washington, DC for the Memorial Day Parade. There, as the youngest group to attend, they joined other storytellers in honoring the service and sharing the stories of veterans nationwide.
Student filmmakers with WWII veteran Jack Walker, who was there the day the American flag was raised in Iwo Jima.
Students interview Will Hayes, who served as a Navy Captain in Vietnam.
For students like Michelle, who interviewed family members who served in the military, the project was deeply personal. Here, she stands with a picture of her great-grandfather.
In a Navy wreath laying ceremony in San Diego, students honor a local Pearl Harbor survivor.
Many veterans, like Anna’s father, are reluctant to share their experiences of war with their children. After persuading her father to tell his stories of Vietnam, Anna acknowledges his service, walking with his image down Constitution Avenue in Washington DC.
Karina’s family proudly welcomes her back from her first trip away from home.