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Utah VVAW in the Classroom

By Aaron Davis

Last fall VVAW members Rick Miller and Larry Chadwick along with Vietnam veterans Dr. Robert Littlehale and Lewis Downey traveled to Orem, Utah to give students at the Walden Charter School their perspectives and share their experiences about Vietnam. According to Dr. Robert Littlehale who coordinated the visit, the four have had previous panel experience on the topic of the human costs of war. "There were 60 students and the faculty were held rapt by our response to their questions," he stated. He was impressed by the feedback from the students of deep gratitude and their willingness to listen and ask questions."There is a healing that comes with speaking our truth, even if it brings pathos to the heart," he continued. When told by Class Instructor Eric Beecroft that the students had decided to adopt an Iraqi family, and help with their adapting to life in America, Dr. Littlehale exclaimed," I admire the idealism that fractured and damaged folks like me often have missplaced or been transformed into cynicism and skepticism... it reminds me that the future resides in the passion, romance and innocence of our young...there is hope eternal," he concluded.

Beecroft thanked the vets and said,"it was painfully and profoundly sad, but incredibly necessary." His students views changed so drastically on "glorious combat and justified violence... the idea of what it means to go to war... became real to them," he stated. "We decided as a class to adopt a refuge Iraqi family as a long term service commitment instead of writing a paper or some dumb test," he concluded.

Mission Accomplished, aye, aye sir!

Aaron Davis is VVAW contact in Utah and former VFP Chapter 118 president.
His 18 years active and reserve marine NCO and Army Officer service preceded his organizing and Military Counseling Service.

Dr. Robert Littlehale speaks about his experiences in Vietnam to students in Utah.