History Club honors fallen soldiers

History teacher Marj DeNeal, the History Club sponsor, has created a project honoring the fallen veterans of World War 1 and World War 2.  

History Club has hung up pictures of the soldiers in the history wing to honor their legacy.  

“It’s so important to honor these soldiers,” DeNeal said. “I think we all know someone who has served. I hope people can stand there, and look at the project and realize the sacrifice that Saline County made during the war.  It’s phenomenal to see the amount of people who served, and died.” 

The project took quite a while to complete. 

“It took me almost two years to complete the research on every single one of these soldiers,” DeNeal said. “I spent a lot of time looking into every single one of them. All of their stories are all so different and unique. It’s so interesting just to take some time and really learn what was going on in their individual lives.” 

Students agree that the project is a great way to give respect to the soldiers.

“I think it’s a great way to honor the soldiers and what they fought for,” senior Rylan Nyberg said. “It’s time to pay them back, for all the freedoms they gave to us.” 

 For some, the project has great sentimental value.

 “I submitted one of my family members’ names,” junior Paige Potts said. “I really hope this project stops and makes me think about all the veterans who have served from our area.I hope this project does the same for students. I hope they realize it’s important to appreciate our veterans more, because sometimes it feels like we don’t recognize them as much as we should.”

The project is important to relatives of former veterans.

“I’d say setting up the pictures is important to me because my grandpa served in the military, and I also have two cousins currently serving,” junior Jaxon Quisenberry said. “It impacts me because I get to feel like now I’m giving back to the people I know who have been in the military. And, I get to hear other peoples stories from their own families.”  

The History Club will also start hanging up pictures before Veterans and Memorial Day. Students may submit names of soldiers they would like to honor via Google Form sent to all students by media specialist Heather Cox.