BANGOR, Maine — Students in the New England School of Communications journalism program at Husson University learned there is more to history than what is written in books, several said Monday after they interviewed three Maine World War II veterans as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.
“I have learned that no amount of studying can compare to hearing the experiences of these gentlemen,” junior Zack Hewins said.
Eight students enrolled in a public affairs class conducted oral history interviews that were recorded and will be part of the library’s permanent collection.
Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 under the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center. The program is designed to help future generations better understand the realities of war from those who served their country during armed conflicts.
Veterans Norman Rossignol, Paul Wilbur and Harold Beal were contacted through the Cole Land Transportation Museum and interviewed by the students at Husson, who posted their interviews on YouTube. WWII veteran Galen Cole, a veterans advocate and founder of the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor, also was interviewed by Jeffrey Hope, a journalism instructor who runs the New England School of Communications’ journalism program.
“I will never be able to look at the history of World War II the same,” senior Hannah Billings said, with her father, Staff Sgt. Robert Billings, and grandfather, Burke Billings, who served in the U.S. Army, seated in the room Monday at a news conference at Husson showcasing the students’ work.
The veterans’ stories are compelling.
Decorated veteran Rossignol, 90, of Bangor, was drafted on Nov. 18, 1943, at the age of 18. He joined the 94th Infantry Division of the United States Army and fought in the following campaigns: Northern France, Central Europe, Ardennes and Rhineland. Rossignol earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal on Oct. 14, 1944, after a landmine was tripped, killing two French civilians and injuring Rossignol and his squad. Rossignol retired from the Army after 21 years of service.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Wilbur, 91, of Hermon and Bangor was 16 when he heard on the radio that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, thrusting the U.S. into the conflict. When he turned 17 in January 1942, he left high school with his parents’ permission and enlisted on Feb. 12, 1942.
Beal, 90, of Southwest Harbor joined the U.S. Navy Amphibious Force when he was 17 years old. Beal said he is burdened with memories of landing on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 — D-Day.
Cole lost five close friends from his U.S. Army 5th Armored Division unit when a German tank attacked his transport vehicle on April 2, 1945. Cole started handing out walking sticks to Maine veterans more than a decade ago and started the The Veteran Interview Program to teach local youngsters about history.
“These recorded interviews will help future generations better understand the realities of war from those who served their country during this historical armed conflict,” Eric Gordon, Husson spokesman, said in a news release about the event. “The interviews will also be invaluable to future scholars and researchers who are interested in better understanding the World War II experience from the armed service person’s perspective.”
Learning about and preserving history is the goal of the project, said Hope.
“World War II was a conflict that defined a generation here in the United States,” Hope said. “A project like this gives journalism students an opportunity to interview individuals who were a part of history. This experience gave our students insights into interview techniques and a war that changed the world.”
Collecting the life stories of WWII veterans is very important, said Staff Sgt. Billings, who is part of Bravo Company, the 172nd Mountain Infantry unit based in Brewer, and has two overseas deployments under his belt.
“They’re disappearing,” he said of WWII veterans after his daughter’s group finished their presentation. “And quite frankly, what we lived through is nothing compared to what they lived through. That is why they are The Greatest Generation.”
Hope said he wants to expand the program into a semester-long project for future students.
Senior Jesse Bunde said he thought he was prepared and knew a lot about what happened on the battlefields during World War II, but learned through the interviews that, “I was very much mistaken.”
“I will never forget this,” he said, just before thanking the veterans for their service and sacrifice.