“And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother”
This quotation comes from Shakespeare’s play Henry V and is used today to symbolize the closeness and brotherhood among soldiers. This bond between soldiers is exactly why people care about military history and why students here at West Chester University have set up a Military History Club.
The Military History Club wants to do many things to help the band of brothers and sisters in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also want to reach out to the veterans here on campus, to hear from them and to help them in any way they can. The club has already begun doing events and programs to do just these things.
The Military History Club is sponsoring a book drive that will send books to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The book drive is already underway. The club has a drop box in the third floor of Main Hall right in front of room 304. They accept gently used books and magazines, but not textbooks. Donations for shipping costs are also accepted, but not mandatory.
The club will collect books and magazines until Thanksgiving break, then will box them to ship to Iraq and Afghanistan to the U.S. soldiers fighting for our freedom. A single book donation can help our brave men and women with this drive. They want as many people to contribute as possible; troops would greatly appreciate it.
Another project the Military History Club is involved in is the Soldiers to Scholars oral history project. Started by history professor Dr. Kodosky and WCU student and military veteran Lawrence Davidson, they hope to reach out to the veterans on campus, so everyone can be a witness to history. Soldiers to Scholars is their way of welcoming back veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. They have already interviewed several veterans about their experiences and want all the veterans on campus to come out and tell their experiences.
Soldiers to Scholars also needs more help with interviewing the veterans. People can find information regarding this oral history program by going to www.soldierstoscholars.com. There is contact information on the website for people who want to become involved.
Soldiers to Scholars interviews our veterans at WCU so they can tell us their stories and experiences. The Military History club says we owe them so much; these are just two of the ways WCU is trying to give back.
The Military History Club will also host a movie discussion panel in the week following Veterans Day. This will take place at some time in the evening, probably starting around 7 p.m. The event entails watching clips of a documentary that aired on PBS about the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. The discussion panel will have veterans that Soldiers to Scholars interviewed. Several professors in the history department will also be there to give their perspectives and historical analysis. This documentary is not a political film, but one that gives a great picture of what goes on in the wars in which America is involved. It will be a great time studying this documentary and listening to the veterans who were there and hear their experiences.
The Military History Club is trying to do everything to give back to the veterans and to hear their voices in a very complex and difficult political climate. These programs and events will undoubtedly help everyone understand and help the veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scott Good is a third-year student majoring in history with a minor in political science. He can be reached at SG676968@wcupa.edu