GAIL WHITE War re-enactments stir patriotism in students

On Sept. 20, 40 students from Chaney High School along with their teacher, Martin Murphy, headed to Columbus for the Spirit of America presentation sponsored by the United States Army.
"I thought it would be interesting," said James Rounds, an 11th-grader at Chaney.
James and the rest of the Chaney students were in for a big surprise. The presentation was more than interesting; it was life-changing.
Arriving at Nationwide Arena, the group began to understand the magnitude of the event -- 15,000 students and advisers were filing into the arena.
Chaney was one of 40 high schools from across the Midwest invited to attend this prestigious event
"I didn't know it was going to be that big," admits Antoine Rutland, an 11th-grader.
Front-row seats
Entering the arena, their enterprising teacher discovered front row seats that were still open.
"We ran so fast for those seats," Murphy laughed.
As the group settled into their seats, they unfurled flags that they had brought with them and began waving them.
"We were the only ones with flags," Murphy recalled.
It seems like destiny that these local patriots procured front row seats to wave their flags to the 15,000 seated around them.
The four divisions of the armed forces entered the field of the arena. Songs and salutes were performed.
The Chaney students were not prepared for what came next.
Scary
The performers of the Spirit of America re-enacted all the wars our country has fought.
"It scared me," James says with absolutely no reserve about his feelings.
Looking at this big, tall 11th-grader, I chuckled, questioning his scared feelings. The other young men echoed his feelings.
"It was scary," says Jeff Perrine, also in 11th grade at Chaney. "Guns were going off ... People were falling down. ..."
"They jumped down from the center of the arena," explains Jeff, of a paratrooping scene.
"There was a little girl pulling a wagon and all of a sudden guns were going off all around her," remembers Roxanne Harris, a Chaney junior. Her voice quivers as she recalls the scene.
Nataliya Shturkhetska, an exchange student from Ukraine, attended the Columbus event as well.
"It was breathtaking for me," she says. "To see what was happening with your own eyes, not by just reading it."
Show leaves its mark
Each of the students came away from the event with a renewed sense of patriotism.
"I don't understand how somebody could be that dedicated to give up their life for their country -- I want to live a long time -- 70, at least," James confessed. "I give them props [credit]."
"My dad was in the Navy," Antoine explains. "So I knew a lot of this stuff. When they read the numbers of all the people that died in each war, I thought about how many people died for our country."
"And their families," Jeff added.
Roxanne returned home from the event with a renewed sense of resolve.
"I had been thinking about going into the Army," she said. "I went to a recruiter when I came home. I want to be a nurse in the Army. I don't want to fight. I want to take care of people."
Nataliya gained an understanding of American patriotism.
She insisted on having her picture taken with several veterans at the event.
"We are patriotic in Ukraine," she shares. "It is different here. You stand and say the pledge to the flag everyday. You wave your flag and treat it with great respect."
They'll be back
Chaney High School's respect and pride for the flag did not go unnoticed at the Spirit of America presentation.
An organizer of the event saw our local patriots waving their flags in that front row and extended an invitation to the group for next year's event.
"We're going to take more students next time," Murphy said.
gwhite@vindy.com