Blackhawk Visit To Middle School (Ultimately) Evokes Pride

Ellen Wickham is a middle school educator in the Worthington Schools system in Central Ohio. She penned this moving essay to remember today, November 11, Veterans Day.

"We were in the classroom last Friday morning, my seventh graders and I, waiting with anticipation. We knew it was coming. We just didn’t know exactly when. Then I heard that telltale repetitive "thump" of the rotors echoing from the distant sky. We all ran to the window. Within seconds, there it was flying above us: first headed toward the west, ascending and banking sharply to the right. Then toward the east, swinging its long dark body gracefully around before hovering above the field and to make its landing. We were all mesmerized as the UH–60 Blackhawk helicopter landed in the field alongside our school building.

"Major Michael Smith, commander of the 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment, had landed the Blackhawk with his crew to talk to our students and staff about his aircraft, what it is to be an active Army reservist, and what Veteran’s Day means to him. This was the beginning of our school’s Veteran’s Day Commemoration.
"This young man -- he looked no older than my oldest child -- was simply amazing in both his message and his delivery. He talked about military duty and mission in both wartime and peacetime, and described how his favorite part of the job is being able to talk to groups of students.

"He came prepared with a slide show to educate us all about the helicopter, the reservist’s training, and even some video of actual military missions that involved the Blackhawk. One mission involved the bombing of enemy targets in Iraq. I wondered how the students and staff were going to react to this. As most people know, teachers as a whole are a pretty liberal left-leaning group of people and many of the adult faces showed distaste during this 30-second video. The students, however, were entranced. I wondered to myself whether they really understood what was happening.

"There seemed, however, to be no signs of distaste during the next video. In fact, just the opposite. It was called the 'Italian Job.' The Blackhawk was used to transport several Navy Seals and other Special Forces personnel to rescue two Italian men who had been kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents. Again, that distinct sound emanated from the video: that "thump, thump, thump" that you can feel in your chest. The video followed the helicopter as it landed and then the men as they entered a building, weapons drawn, sweeping room after room. My heart was beating as if I was there. It seemed like an eternity before the soldiers finally found the hostages. But the video showed only 17.6 seconds elapsed from touchdown until target acquisition. And the men who were rescued . . . there are no words to describe the expressions on their faces. Relief? Gratitude? It was so very far beyond that. One of the men gave a "thumbs up." I guess that pretty much sums it up.

"And what was going on in our auditorium? Absolute, complete silence. Total captivation. There were no looks of distaste on the faces of staff at this point. The students were completely enthralled. When the video was over, there was a second or two of silence before applause exploded throughout the room. All of a sudden you could feel the pride. We all seemed proud to be Americans. It didn’t matter if you were a Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, adult or child. It didn’t matter whether you agreed or disagreed with the purpose and politics behind this war. All that seemed to matter was we were proud to be part of a country where our men and women were willing to risk their lives to rescue people they didn’t even know. We all were proud to be part of something that honored those men and women at that moment.

"And yes, Jordan, people did die during the bombing you watched on the video. That is the ugly part of war that no one likes to see. But it is the reality of war. And without war and the veterans who have come before us and those who will come after us, we would not and won’t continue to have the freedoms we have today, Jordan. That is why we all need to remember this Veteran’s Day. Please remember to honor a vet because FREEDOM is not free."

When I met Ellen nearly 10 years ago, she lived in a world she once described as perfect, orderly, and "all wrapped up with a nice little pink ribbon." She never thought about crime, self-defense, or one’s rights being taken away – without her input -- with the stroke of a pen by a politician. Crime happened elsewhere. But once she became involved as a personal safety instructor and NRA certified firearms instructor, she admits she learned far more than she ever imagined about the ugly world of politics. Ellen has testified repeatedly before lawmakers in the Ohio General Assembly over the years, particularly on issues of citizen safety.