2.08.09

Tech Valley High School juniors – some of whom are close to the age of the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan – are answering a tough question as part of their latest project – What are the costs of war for soldiers returning home?

The students are hearing from veterans of a variety of wars and studying known troubled areas for veterans, such as unemployment, finances, medical and mental health and family problems. They will then use the information to write collective creative articles that demonstrate their understanding of a veteran’s perspective and ways of coping with the demands of life when they return from duty, said teacher Mary VanHoomissen.

Veterans will be in the school talking with students on February 9, 23 and 25 at 11:50 a.m.

The students, VanHoomissen said, have already seen the one man production about the troubles of a returning veteran, “The Things They Carried,” and are currently reading the novel of the same title by Tim O’Brien.

Towards the end of the project, she said the students will talk with the creators of the renowned Soldier Billboard Project and develop ideas for projects that can raise awareness of the plight of veterans locally.

Almost all of the students taking part in the project know someone directly who has served in the military and been deployed.

“There is a great complexity involved with modern warfare and the toll it takes on many people,” said VanHoomissen.