thedrifter
06-03-08, 07:33 AM
War an influence for high school class of '08
By Sarah Beu, Journal staff
When the terrorist attacks of of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, Jake Hill and his family were stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska. His mother told him what had happened, but the then-11-year-old didn't know what the World Trade Center was; he just "knew something bad had happened." The base went into "code red" and locked down.
Almost seven years later, Hill will graduate from Stevens High School today. The graduating class of 2008 was only in the sixth grade when they watched on TV as commercial airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have spanned their high school careers.
Now, Hill and a dozen other seniors he knows from Stevens are enlisting in the military this summer.
Jerome Roberts has always been active in the ROTC at Douglas High School. Last November, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy to be an aviation machinist.
His family influenced his choice to enlist, he said. His older sister is in the Air Force, and his father was an electrician for the Navy. But the thought of war doesn't cross his mind much.
"It's exciting, but I don't care much for war," Roberts said.
Others may not enlist, but the influence of the war in Iraq hits in different ways. Kristen Hamby's brother Jared recently returned to the U.S. after serving almost a year and a half in Iraq. Kristen Hamby is also graduating from Stevens today -- with a sigh of relief.
"He would always be on our mind," Hamby said. "I was kind of scared for him; I didn't want anything to happen to him." She said Jared was in Baghdad and that his life was in danger every day.
Although the war has cost the United States thousands of lives and billions of dollars, some students find advantages to the pervasive conflict.
"It could teach us to be closer, to watch out for each other," Abi Baly, who is graduating today from Stevens, said.
Hamby said that because of the war, people are more aware of others. Young people "are more thankful of what we have compared to what other people have to go through," she said. Hamby and a group of young women at her church put together care packages for her brother and other soldiers.
Two years ago, Hill's father was deployed to Iraq.
"I was worried. But at the same time, I knew he was at the base mending all the wounds," Hill said. His father has since returned, but now, Hill will do his part. He enlisted in the Marines and will report in August.
"A lot of people think you join the Marines because you have nowhere else to go. I decided to serve my country first and see where it takes me," Hill said. "I love my country, and I'm willing to fight and die for it."
Contact Sarah Beu at sarah.beu@rapidcityjournal.com.
Class of 2008 timeline:
2001-2002 -- Sixth grade
Sept. 11, 2001 -- Terrorists crash planes into World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
Oct. 7, 2001 -- Operation Enduring Freedom begins.
March 2002 -- The Taliban had been removed from power, and the al-Qaida network in Afghanistan had been destroyed.
2002-2003 -- Seventh grade
March 19, 2003 -- Bush launches invasion of Iraq.
May 29, 2003 -- Bush: "We found the weapons of mass destruction."
Dec. 14, 2003 -- Saddam Hussein is captured.
2003-2004 -- Eighth grade
Nov. 2, 2004 -- Bush wins re-election.
2004-2005 -- Ninth grade
Jan. 12, 2005 -- Weapons of mass destruction search in Iraq is declared over.
March 3, 2005 -- Death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq hits 1,500.
2005-2006 -- 10th grade
Aug. 19 2006 -- 1,249 days since the war began; the war in Iraq surpasses the length of World War II.
2006-2007 -- 11th grade
Nov. 8, 2006 -- Donald Rumsfeld resigns as Secretary of Defense and is replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates.
Dec. 30, 2006 -- Saddam executed by hanging.
2007-2008 -- 12th grade
Nov. 24, 2007 -- U.S. starts first major pullout from Iraq, beginning with brigade members.
March 23, 2008 -- At least 4,000 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.
Source: Thinkprogress.org
Ellie
By Sarah Beu, Journal staff
When the terrorist attacks of of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, Jake Hill and his family were stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska. His mother told him what had happened, but the then-11-year-old didn't know what the World Trade Center was; he just "knew something bad had happened." The base went into "code red" and locked down.
Almost seven years later, Hill will graduate from Stevens High School today. The graduating class of 2008 was only in the sixth grade when they watched on TV as commercial airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have spanned their high school careers.
Now, Hill and a dozen other seniors he knows from Stevens are enlisting in the military this summer.
Jerome Roberts has always been active in the ROTC at Douglas High School. Last November, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy to be an aviation machinist.
His family influenced his choice to enlist, he said. His older sister is in the Air Force, and his father was an electrician for the Navy. But the thought of war doesn't cross his mind much.
"It's exciting, but I don't care much for war," Roberts said.
Others may not enlist, but the influence of the war in Iraq hits in different ways. Kristen Hamby's brother Jared recently returned to the U.S. after serving almost a year and a half in Iraq. Kristen Hamby is also graduating from Stevens today -- with a sigh of relief.
"He would always be on our mind," Hamby said. "I was kind of scared for him; I didn't want anything to happen to him." She said Jared was in Baghdad and that his life was in danger every day.
Although the war has cost the United States thousands of lives and billions of dollars, some students find advantages to the pervasive conflict.
"It could teach us to be closer, to watch out for each other," Abi Baly, who is graduating today from Stevens, said.
Hamby said that because of the war, people are more aware of others. Young people "are more thankful of what we have compared to what other people have to go through," she said. Hamby and a group of young women at her church put together care packages for her brother and other soldiers.
Two years ago, Hill's father was deployed to Iraq.
"I was worried. But at the same time, I knew he was at the base mending all the wounds," Hill said. His father has since returned, but now, Hill will do his part. He enlisted in the Marines and will report in August.
"A lot of people think you join the Marines because you have nowhere else to go. I decided to serve my country first and see where it takes me," Hill said. "I love my country, and I'm willing to fight and die for it."
Contact Sarah Beu at sarah.beu@rapidcityjournal.com.
Class of 2008 timeline:
2001-2002 -- Sixth grade
Sept. 11, 2001 -- Terrorists crash planes into World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
Oct. 7, 2001 -- Operation Enduring Freedom begins.
March 2002 -- The Taliban had been removed from power, and the al-Qaida network in Afghanistan had been destroyed.
2002-2003 -- Seventh grade
March 19, 2003 -- Bush launches invasion of Iraq.
May 29, 2003 -- Bush: "We found the weapons of mass destruction."
Dec. 14, 2003 -- Saddam Hussein is captured.
2003-2004 -- Eighth grade
Nov. 2, 2004 -- Bush wins re-election.
2004-2005 -- Ninth grade
Jan. 12, 2005 -- Weapons of mass destruction search in Iraq is declared over.
March 3, 2005 -- Death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq hits 1,500.
2005-2006 -- 10th grade
Aug. 19 2006 -- 1,249 days since the war began; the war in Iraq surpasses the length of World War II.
2006-2007 -- 11th grade
Nov. 8, 2006 -- Donald Rumsfeld resigns as Secretary of Defense and is replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates.
Dec. 30, 2006 -- Saddam executed by hanging.
2007-2008 -- 12th grade
Nov. 24, 2007 -- U.S. starts first major pullout from Iraq, beginning with brigade members.
March 23, 2008 -- At least 4,000 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.
Source: Thinkprogress.org
Ellie