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Utah students learn from veterans during ‘Freedom Walk’ field trip

Posted at 5:58 PM, May 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-09 19:58:49-04

SPANISH FORK, Utah -- Fifth graders from the Nebo School District got to take a field trip that also walked them down veterans’ memory lane on Wednesday.

Their field trip, called the Freedom Walk, took them to Volunteer Drive at the Spanish Fork Sports Park to meet with veterans from American Legion Post 68.

Veterans shared their war stories with the students and taught them about why they had their freedom and to never forget their freedom was not free. Many veterans talked about their sacrifices and losses during their time of service in WWII, The Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and the Korean War.

“They just talk about what they have gone through and how much trouble they have gone through, and it makes me respect them a lot more,” said fifth grader Kyson.

His great-grandfather served as an airplane mechanic in the Korean War.

Students also sang God Bless America for the veterans.

The veterans and a 25-member Honor Guard held a ceremony for a recently fallen veteran’s family. They brought out his coffin and folded the American Flag for his family. They thanked them for his service to the United States.

“There are so many unknowns and uncertainties in your life as a soldier; and our children don’t really appreciate that, or understand that, so this is one way to make them understand,” said U.S. Army Vietnam War veteran Steve Wilson, who also helped organize the Freedom Walk.

The children also shared their families’ veteran stories, if they had someone in their family who served. They shared those stories on paper and posted them to the fence at Sports Park.

To contact the American Legion Post 68 for more information, click here.