Garth Sweredoski, a social studies teacher at Wakefield High School, is giving his “Lessons of Vietnam” class the chance to connect with Vietnam War veterans through letters, e-mails and phone calls. “Lessons of Vietnam” is a class that mainly focuses on aspects of the pertaining war by going deeper than face value. By working with the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Incorporated, Sweredoski has been able to put his plan into action.

The NCVVI is an organization run by Bob Matthews that connects Vietnam War veterans and students, giving them a more personal level of insight on the war. Sweredoski believes that the project will help the veterans just as much as the students.

“[The organization] gives the veterans a sense that people will get a more realistic view of what happened,” said Sweredoski. “Many of the veterans were high-school-aged when they went to war, which will give students a more realistic connection with the past.”

Ramez Botros, a senior in Sweredoski’s class, described his experience communicating with veteran Bill Dixon, who was a second lieutenant in the army during the war. Botros disclosed that Dixon called him immediately after receiving his letter and wanted to meet Botros for a discussion.

“My friend and I went to a Vietnamese restaurant and met him for lunch,” said Botros. “He explained [various meals] on the menu and told us some really interesting stories about his experiences [in] Vietnam.”

Dixon also appeared as a guest speaker in Sweredoski’s class.

Morgan Duncan, a senior in “Lessons of Vietnam”, spoke about Dixon’s experiences and how they affected her view of the war.

“He was a second lieutenant, which is one of the most dangerous jobs in a war, because they [are inexperienced],” said Duncan.

“Communicating with a veteran has definitely made me appreciate the war more and has given me an understanding of the responsibilities people had,” said Duncan.

Both Botros and Duncan allowed Dixon’s experiences to have a lasting impact on the way they view the war. Botros stated that he had always found the war interesting, but Dixon’s shared experiences gave him an entirely different viewpoint on the war, enlightening his ideals. This included the fact that there wasn’t as much discrimination on the base as people would think.

“He shed some light on the war and showed us that it wasn’t all bad. [Dixon] told me that the war really brought [a variety of ] people together,” said Botros. “There is only so much that you can learn from a textbook and it’s better that you learn from somebody firsthand, because it can further your knowledge and make it more personal.”