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Wednesday, 24 August 2011 |
Vietnam Veteran & JFI Volunteer Serves Students in California
The Beacon conducted an interview recently with LtCol Ed Benes, USMC (Ret.), a Joe Foss Institute Veteran Volunteer (pictured below with Lorna Jacoby, a middle school teacher, after he had presented in her classroom). We caught up with him between a round of golf and a presentation he was going to make at a Rotary Club. In his words, "if I have free time in my schedule, I'm going to do something productive with it."
 The Beacon (TB): Please tell our readers a bit about your military background.
LtCol Benes: I joined the Marines in January of 1968. I told my recruiter I wanted to fly airplanes, and he told me all the hurdles I'd have to jump through to fly, since I didn't have a college education. He was blunt and honest, and made it sound like a long shot, but I thought "I've got a shot, let's go for it." And it turned out about like he said it would.
I eventually got to fly, but it was not an easy road. I went to boot camp in San Diego, and thought 'what have I gotten myself into?' I ended up in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader in 1/5--Bravo Company 1st Batallion, 5th Marines. Eventually I became the Company Executive Officer, and then spent time back in the States, in Hawaii and later at Parris Island, before I finally got the go-ahead from the Marines to fly. So I headed off to flight school in the early summer of 1973, and starting in 1975, I flew A-4s. I retired in 1989 as the CO of MWHS-3, the Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3.
TB: On behalf of myself personally--and on behalf of the Joe Foss Institute, and the United States of America--thank you for your service to our nation.
LtCol Benes: I appreciate that--I really do.
I always appreciate it when someone thanks me for serving. You know, we learned when our guys came back from Vietnam and were not appreciated. People who put on a uniform and walk into combat or dangerous situations on the behalf of others (whether you agree with the military/political reasons behind a war or not) do so to serve. We should never again treat our sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines in the way that they were treated after Vietnam. It has touched my heart to see how returning soldiers are treated today when they come home. Thank God for those who serve. As a nation, we screwed it up after Vietnam, but we got it right now. We are not perfect, but we are getting better, especially with regard to how we treat our veterans.
TB: How did you get involved in presenting in classrooms?
LtCol Benes: When I learned about what JFI does, I thought it would be a great way to give back, to invest in our youth. It seems to me that the curriculum is being shortened and the kids are missing out on fundamentals about our history--and about why our freedoms are important.
TB: What motivates you to visit these schools and volunteer?
LtCol Benes: I am concerned about our country. Our freedoms are disappearing. I want to help kids get back to the basics of what the Constitution says the Government is supposed to do. I want to help motivate students to be a part of a healthy future America. When I talk about our Constitution, I go into the Preamble, and help the students understand why this subject even matters. We talk about the role of the government. I tell the children that happiness is not a right, but rather we are promised the freedom to pursue it.
I have spoken in a school where many of the students have come here from Laos, and it is interesting to me to observe that they get it. They've experienced what life was like in Laos, where they did not enjoy the same sort of freedoms as we experience here. Sometimes I wonder if kids who come here from other countries appreciate our freedoms more than the children who have grown up here.
TB: What would you tell a veteran who might be interested in volunteering for the first time?
LtCol Benes: It is not as difficult as it might appear. We don't have to be experts on the Constitution, we simply need to be prepared to talk about why the Constitution is important to us personally--and to share our story. It is important simply to be a person who loves America and is willing to share why they have served. Our veterans have a lot of great stories that should be passed down to future generations.
And it is important to just be yourself. To be authentic, and not appear like you believe you are an expert. You are simply there to share your story.
TB: So when you first ventured into a classroom, how did it go?
LtCol Benes: I probably fumbled through the first couple of presentations, but I've adapted and gotten more comfortable just being with them. I will play guitar, sing a couple of patriotic songs, show the videos provided by JFI, and discuss freedom. Sometimes, I'll show the proper way to fold the flag. I even developed my own Powerpoint presentation that I use, personalized for me, with photos and images that get the attention of the students.
TB: What sorts of questions do you get?
LtCol Benes: The questions are usually about my combat experience. They often want to know if I have killed someone. I do not address that directly, but do try to respond by letting them know that in war, people die--and it would be great if we could always find peaceful solutions--but unfortunately sometimes we have to stand up for what is right. I talk a lot about my goal being to always to keep my men as safe as possible. They also ask a lot of questions about flying, because that was part of my story. They ask me if I ever crashed or almost crashed. Thankfully, through great training and good fortune, I have never crashed.
TB: What sort of memorable moments stand out to you about being in the classroom?
LtCol Benes: As with anything, there are always a few students whose attention wander, but typically most students give me their rapt attention. I often receive a package of letters afterwards, which is always meaningful to me because I can see that they are learning. I can see that they are understanding that our freedom is important. I absolutely get the feeling "I was able to touch that life" quite often. It keeps me coming back.
TB: Thank you for volunteering, and thank you for your time.
LtCol Benes: It is an honor to be involved with this program.
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All schools that invite the Joe Foss Insitute to bring its Veterans Inspiring Patriotism program to their campus are eligible to receive free American flags for their classrooms, along with copies of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
This program is delivered at no cost to schools by The Joe Foss Institute. The Institute does not promote any political, religious or military organization or agenda.
If you would like to schedule your school or youth group for a presentation, simply fill out our online request form with your desired presentation date.
If you are a veteran or active duty service member and would like to volunteer to give presentations, please fill out this form.
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