On April 27, the Living Library event allowed Wildcat students to hear personal accounts from war veterans who had diverse stories of service, ranging from nursing in hospitals to delivering supplies and playing music to honor those who have passed.
The Wildcat media center hosted the Living Library event, where students could come in during their lunch, study hall, or if their class came down together to listen to local US veterans share their individual stories, such as the Vietnam war, instead of just reading about it in a book.
One female veteran who came to share her story was Sharon Mentges. During the war she was a US Navy Registered Nurse who was based in San Diego, California.
“I was enrolled at The Ohio State University for nursing when the war first started,” Mentges said, “but I knew I wanted to help when I graduated so I signed myself up for enlistment.”
After graduating, Mentges said she went to San Diego and worked day and night in hospitals during the war against Vietnam. “There were at least 2,000 beds total, and we would help everyone we could,” Mentges said. “I sadly still have some trauma from what I saw those days and get mistreated for helping soldiers at that time.”
Another war veteran Gary Swank was also based in San Diego but as a US Navy Logistics Specialist. “I enjoyed bringing things to the ships who needed supplies because I felt like I was helping in the way I wanted to,” Swank said.
At first Swank thought he wouldn’t be able to help serve because at the time he enlisted he thought he wasn’t the type of person who went to war. With a family history of serving the country since the Revolutionary War, Swank wanted to do something.
After joining the Navy and going through basic training, he was chosen as a Logistics Specialist, a person who delivers necessities to ships or bases outside of America. “I enjoyed it a lot because I got to travel the world and serve,” Swank said. “I even delivered $500 one time.”
To give motivation to upcoming adults, Evans shared with us a wonderful quote he loves to say: ‘Set goals you’ll be able to achieve.’ (Photo by Juan Rafael Suarez Ortiz )
There was another veteran named Dan Carey who was a part of the US Army Band. “I wasn’t that good at college that after two quarters they sent me out,” Carey said. “That’s when I enlisted.”
Carey figured that since he found out he wasn’t good at being a regular soldier, he could be a part of the band. He had experience and loved playing the trumpet in his high school marching band so he joined the one on base.
“A lot of my friends went to Vietnam in the band, but I got to stay on base for all of the years I served,” he said.
Carey also shared how he is a part of a music group of veteran US Army Band players that still play, “Taps” for veterans’ funerals. “Back at base I used to play it if it was time to go to bed but most of the time it is known to play when honoring a soldier or veteran that has passed away,” Carey said.
“It’s a way to honor any soldier when they’re gone when they’ve served any time for our country,” he said. “I am happy to do that for their families.”
Sophomore Molly Niewenhous-Ryan shared that she enjoyed participating in the event, highlighting that hearing experiences from people from within our community. “I loved hearing their stories and learning the multiple perspectives of something that went down in history,” she said, “It truly opens people’s eyes to what it was like instead of reading in a textbook.”