Union High School’s Military Living History Day as written for the Sampson Independent Newspaper@

By

 CSM (Retired) Al F. Mckoy

    Lieutenant Colonel David Stanley, the Senior Army JROTC Instructor at Union High School, has always been a “history nut!”  He grew up in a community that was filled with World War II Veteran’s and even had a few living World War I veterans, to include LTC Stanley’s uncle.   When this uncle died his wife gave LTC Stanley all of his military memorabilia, and this ignited a passion that is still burning.  LTC Stanley worked for many of these men who had returned home from World War II to farm and run small businesses. He loved listening to the stories of their war adventures, to include those his father told about his service in the navy.  Even the pastor of his church was a World War II Veteran, serving as a tail gunner in a B-24 Bomber in the Pacific Theater.   LTC Stanley’s primary historical focus has been on World War II, but has expanded to include other conflicts involving America.  He has always been willing to share these items and stories with anyone who would listen; when he and Nicole Peterson arrived at Union High School within a few years of each other it was a natural evolution for them to reestablish the “History Club.”          

       The history club has two major events each year, a trip to a location of historical importance and the Military Living History Day.  This year was the fourth year for the Military Living History event and it was the largest event to date.   Two hundred and fifteen students saw the displays and demonstrations put on by ten members of LTC Stanley’s Civil War reenacting unit.  This included 45 JROTC Cadets from Lakewood High School who were brought over by LTC Laub and 1SG Deavers.     

      The displays provided the students a glimpse of Military Uniforms, equipment and weapons from the American Revolution through the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraqi.  There was also a focus area showing uniforms from one of our major opponents in WWI and WWII, the Germans.   LTC Stanley served as the tour guide through the displays highlighting the advances in weaponry and uniforms in each conflict.  He also highlighted some of the items on display that had more of a personal story such as the original Civil War photographs of three brothers from the Kinston area, one who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1861.    

       The second part of the program included demonstration firings of the Model 1919A4 machinegun, the M-1 Garand Rifle with a grenade launcher and a Civil War Era Henry Rifle.  The demonstrations concluded with firing demonstrations of the Civil War cannon.  The Confederates opened the demonstration by firing their six pounder and were silenced when the Federal’s two Parrott Rifles were brought into action.  The students clearly enjoyed this event with the highlight for most of them being the firing of the cannons.