Veterans, Students To Attend TAD Program Open House/Reception Showcasing Historical Documentaries on Wednesday, May 8

The students and teachers of the elementary Thinking and Doing (TAD) program will hold a special open house/reception from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8 at North Salisbury Elementary to showcase their historical documentaries for the featured veterans, families and the community. TAD students in grades 3-5 in eleven Wicomico County schools have created historical documentaries that capture the experiences of local World War II veterans.
For more than four months, 127 students in grades 3-5 at eleven Wicomico County schools have been involved in creating historical documentaries as part of Wicomico County's TAD program. During this unit of study, students recognized the importance of historical documentaries as a way to archive our nation?s history and developed an appreciation of a World War II veteran's experiences. Students examined the elements and techniques of an effective documentary and conducted research using primary and secondary sources. 
Students first located members of the community who were willing to participate in the project, and developed specific questions for an in-depth interview of the veteran and his/her experiences. The TAD students, working in small groups, interviewed more than 34 veterans and submitted these interviews to the Veterans History Project in conjunction with the Library of Congress. The interviews were also submitted to Salisbury University's Nabb Center to preserve history. Students used an interview they had done with a veteran as the foundation for a multimedia documentary.
Veteran participants included:
- Mr. Charles Mowbray, whose inspirational story of not having received his well-deserved medals stirred students to contact U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski to implore help to correct this injustice. Sen. Mikulski's office has arranged for Mr. Mowbray to receive his medals at North Salisbury Elementary at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 15.
- Mr. Frank Havens (four-time Olympian), who was a waist gunner on a B-24
- Mr. Frank Baker, who survived the first wave of Iwo Jima in the 4th Division and gave a first-hand account of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi
- Mr. William Wainwright, involved in the little known conflict of Burma Road; he fought alongside Ghurka soldiers
- Mr. Austin Cox, who took part in the invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge
- Mr. Charles Silvia, Sr., who was a veteran of World War II and Korea gave insight to the present day conflict
This project was partially funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and the Mary Gay Calcott Award for Excellence in Education from the Community Foundation.