An honor guard from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde marches in with the colors at Dayton High School’s assembly honoring veterans.
Starla Pointer/News-Register

Dayton and McMinnville high school students had a chance to learn history first-hand from military veterans who visited the area Monday and Tuesday.

Local veterans and those associated with a Milwaukie group, Remembering Our American Heroes, spent Monday at Dayton High School. On Tuesday, they visited with Mac High juniors at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in an event supported by a grant from the McMinnville Education Foundation.

"To hear directly from the people who were there, to hear about the impact on their lives ... that has more meaning than just reading about it," said Ryan McIrvin, a Mac High history teacher. And he said the air museum was a perfect venue for the event.

"The veterans here today have given us a lot of the things we've taken for granted in our country," McIrvin said. "They've kept us from having to go through some of the terrible things they had to do."

Mac High students dressed up and spent the day listening to veterans, touring the museums and watching an IMAX presentation about flight. In the afternoon, they honored the veterans at an assembly featuring the school choir singing patriotic songs.

The keynote speakers were four veterans from the Korean War's infamous Chosin Reservoir battle. They talked about the horrible, subzero conditions they faced in the battle, and how they've been forever changed, suffering from anxiety, insomnia and other problems to this day.

Marine Gene Shirley said talking about the experiences is painful, but it helps - especially when they can educate young people about the Korean War and other military campaigns.

"Talking to you helps us a lot. We appreciate you listening," he said.

Pat Miller, also a Marine, said he came away from the war with an important lesson: "The most important thing is to be alive."

On Monday, Dayton High students also dressed in their best clothes to welcome ROAH members.

It was their second such event. The program also visited DHS in 2007.

They pasted posters in the halls and on the gym walls: "We Salute You." "Let Freedom Ring." "Thank You for Your Service." "Thank You for Our Freedom."

"These kids love you guys, they love you," Principal Roger Lorenzen said.

The students listened with rapt attention to the men and women who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and other conflicts. Doug LaMear, for instance, told them how his WWII ship, the USS Franklin, was hit first by torpedoes, then by kamikazes, then finally by bombs.

During an afternoon assembly, students rose several times for standing ovations as former teacher Jim Connelly introduced the vets. They rose again as Pastor Richard Probasco sang "America the Beautiful" and other patriotic songs.

They also gave a standing ovation to longtime area resident Clayton Arthur "Sy" Seifried, who left Dayton High early to serve in WWII. He served with the Army's 2nd Chemical Battalion in Italy, then went on to fight in France, Germany and Austria as the war played out.

On Monday, Dayton High awarded Seifried what he'd missed 65 years ago: an honorary diploma.

Dayton students applauded again when high school custodian Jeff Biglin, a veteran himself, performed "I'm Proud to Be An American." "It's hard not to get emotional with that song," he said, wiping his eyes.

Biglin served in the U.S. Army from March 1969 to January 1972.

He was a fire control instrument repair technician, in charge of fixing optical aiming devices for howitzers and other big guns. He served during the Vietnam War, but spent his time in the U.S. and Germany.

Biglin was proud that Dayton High had invited the veterans to visit again.

"It's really important to tell veterans 'welcome home' and 'thanks for your service,' and to genuinely mean that," he said, recalling the negative reception many of his fellow soldiers received in the 1960s and 70s. "It's really important that they be thanked - not just honored, but thanked."