PEORIA, Ariz. — Civics students at Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria recently watched their teachers step aside to give up the pulpit to three U.S. military veterans.
Their first-person accounts of serving in the military simply could not be replicated by textbooks and PowerPoint presentations as they discussed patriotism, navigating career choices, and understanding the sacrifices made by fallen service members.
Breaking barriers
“Make career choices that feed your passion,” said Sharon “Betty” Preszler, the first woman to fly the F-16 and engage in combat missions. “There will always be things you have to do. But if you have a choice, do something you want to do.”
Preszler described the day in 1984 when she learned she would fly the F-16 at a time when women were prohibited from flying the jets.
“I wanted to jump and scream for joy, but I didn’t think the general would appreciate that. So I just said, ‘Yes sir’.”
English teacher and Marine veteran runs high school club
The mini-lectures were streamed on video to government classrooms across campus. The event was hosted by Imprints of Honor, an organization that allows students to meet veterans one-on-one and interview them. Students in the Imprints of Honor club (formerly Veterans Heritage Project) write and publish their stories in hardcover books.
“The apprehension students feel meeting these veterans for the first time, the nervousness of going through the process, and writing something that’s not an essay for English class, but writing something truly meaningful, I couldn’t be prouder for what they do,” said Sunrise Mountain English teacher and Marine veteran D.J. Salch, who started the Imprints of Honor chapter at the school.
The speakers discussed patriotism, gave career advice, and elaborated on both the benefits and drawbacks of military service.
“I was fortunate enough to leave the military relatively unscathed,” Preszler said. “Others return with injuries, or sometimes more emotional ones you can’t see. But there are scars there.”
Teaching students about honoring sacrifices of others
Vietnam War helicopter pilot James Saufley and retired Lieutenant General Special Forces Commander David Fridovich also addressed the students.
Fridovich stressed the importance of being grateful for the men and women who gave their lives serving their country. He somberly described the day he notified a woman her medic husband was killed in Afghanistan.
“I’ve had great times and great joys in the military, and I’ve had great lows and difficulties. And those are the most memorable days,” said Fridovich. “Veterans Day is not Memorial Day but you can’t help but think of people that have willingly made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, for the country, and the people I’m looking at right now. It gives us an opportunity now to dwell on who we are, how we got here, and how we keep the Republic, as we would say.”
Changing course in life and finding success
Saufley, nicknamed “Shoefly” by his friends, told the students about how learned to adjust his goals depending on the circumstances.
For example, after joining the military, he said he believed he should pursue a job in the Army Infantry. The infantry is a branch of the military that focuses on ground troops and close-range combat.
“They were showing me all this armor, artillery, and big machines and I looked at the recruiter and I said, look I grew up on a farm and I’m really good with a rifle,” he said.
A series of events led Saufley to become a drill sergeant. He eventually took aviation tests and excelled. He attended helicopter training school and learned to fly “Huey” gunships in Vietnam.
“As far as I’m concerned the Huey is the most magnificent aircraft ever made,” he said. “The time that I spent in the military was the greatest time in my life. It has caused me to be successful at everything that I have done since.”
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