Voices from the Front

Kyle has been working so hard on his Eagle Scout project, it has become almost like a part time job, sometimes full time. But he is loving every minute of it! He is promoting his website and gathering as many veterans stories as possible. He is organizing a team of volunteers who are helping him interview, write, and edit the interviews and getting them posted to his website. It is quite an undertaking but one he really believes in. Last week at Boy Scouts the Columbus Dispatch photographer came and took his picture for an article that they were doing on Kyle's project. The reporter has been so supportive of Kyle's relationship with the veterans and has been a great help in getting him publicity.

We are so proud of the work Kyle is doing. Once again I am humbled to be his mom.

At the end of the week, after this article was published the following editorial appeared. It totally took us by surprise, how neat that was for him!

From the Columbus Dispatch, Friday -

ONE REQUIREMENT for Boy Scouts wishing to reach the highest rank of Eagle Scout is to plan, develop and provide leadership in a project that will benefit a religious institution, a school or a community.

Many scouts opt for practical projects such as building bird houses for a park or installing playground equipment, and those are worthwhile. But 15-year-old Kyle Miller of Pickerington has devised a more-weighty project.
Kyle plans to interview 1,000 veterans of World War II and the Korean War, and he will preserve their stories on the website voicesfromthefront.org, “so that their experiences, their memories, and their deeds can be heard even after the men have passed on.”
Indeed, hundreds of veterans of the Korean War and World War II die every day. Kyle knows this —he’s delivered eulogies at two funerals for veterans of the Battle of the Bulge.
These members of what has been dubbed The Greatest Generation have stories that the rest of us can learn from — stories that might be lost to history, if not for a 15-year-old Pickerington boy willing to take the time to listen.

Another Story...

Kyle continues to work on gathering stories from veterans. Every person we talk to has just an amazing story of their life. Times were really hard for these WWII vets before they even left for war. So many grew up during the depression and had such hard childhoods.
The veteran we talked to last week was so kind and had so much to share. I love how they just take Kyle right in and share everything with him. This veteran and his wife have been married  almost 70 years! And they love to be together. I don't think they spend any time apart and it is very sweet. They were so kind to Kyle and he left with a memento, an eagle statue from their collection that we will be using at his Eagle Court of Honor in the future.

1,000 Veterans Needed

The room was silent because the man next to me cried. His emotions had forced him to stop momentarily, but the room waited, patiently, for him to collect himself before continuing his story. As we waited silently for him to catch his breath, I sat in awe at what was occurring before me. Having again rallied himself, Frank Walsh resumed his tale. Long, long ago, in December 1944, as a young soldier fighting in the Second World War, his unit joined the Allied forces attempting to halt a massive German offensive in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. One bitter winter day, in the heat of this climatic battle, one of his comrades was injured and began to call for help. Heavy enemy fire prevented all of Frank’s attempts to reach the man, and forced him to withdraw back to his platoon’s position.
Mr. Walsh shared this story in December of 2008, nearly 64 years since those fateful moments. Yet the emotion in his voice made me feel like it happened only yesterday. His face and tone expressed clearly the guilt he carried for being unable to save his fellow soldier. Seeing the impact those few moments had on his life, even six and half decades after the event, made a deep impression on me. Only twelve years old, I had never seen anyone so affected by a single experience. When I got home later that day, I immediately found a notebook and wrote down Mr. Walsh’s story while it remained fresh in my mind. I didn’t want to forget what I had heard that day.
My name is Kyle Miller, I am 15 years old, and an associate member of the Litsinberger Chapter of Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. It was at one of my chapter meetings that I heard Mr. Walsh’s story. That cold December afternoon of 2008 changed my life. These shuffling old men were transformed as I began to realize and appreciate their sacrifice, their honor, their gift to my generation. I suddenly realized the personal experiences and memories of these veterans paint the true image of war; the terror, the absurdity, the reality. This picture is quickly fading from the view of my generation. These fine veterans of the Litsenberger Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of Bulge shared not only their stories, but their friendship with me. Sadly, five of my friends, including Mr. Walsh, have died in the last two years. In honor of them, I decided to make the preservation of this generation’s legacy, a personal mission.
As a Boy Scout in Troop 826, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, I earned the rank of Life last November. That is when I really had to start thinking about what I wanted my Eagle project to be. I wanted my project to reflect my interests and benefit a part of the community that I felt deserved it. As I brainstormed a wide range of ideas, I remembered a newspaper article that my grandmother had given me over three years ago; the very article that inspired me to join the Litsinberger Chapter. The article spoke of World War II veterans seeking to pass their stories on to younger people. As I thought about that article and my friends of the Litsinberger Chapter, I knew I wanted my project to help preserve their legacy.
Like the veterans seeking younger people, I am now seeking veterans. My Eagle Project vision is to capture and preserve the stories of 1,000 World War II and Korean War Veterans. Yes, that’s right, 1,000 personal, human, stories from our servicemen and women. Their experiences will be archived and available for anyone to hear. In this way, who they are and what they did will not be forgotten!
I can’t pull off this project by myself; I am going to need a lot of help! To help with the collection of stories and to provide an archive, I have created a website called Voices From the Front If you are a veteran and would like to share your story, please go to http://voicesfromthefront.org and register as an interested veteran today. If you know a veteran that might be interested in sharing his or her story, help spread the word of my project by giving them the name of my website.
I need volunteers! I need help interviewing veterans, writing, editing, and publishing their stories, and help editing audio and video footage from recorded interviews. I need all the help I can get! If you are interested in meeting our nation’s military veterans, like to write, or know how to edit digital footage, go online and register as a volunteer, or contact me at kyle.miller@voicesfromthefront.org to see how you can get involved.
I need donations to pay for expenses! Generous contributions of any size are appreciated! If you donate $15 to our mission we will give you a free Voices from the Front T-Shirt. Don’t need a T-Shirt? You can designate your t-shirt for a veteran. Just donate $15 and we will give a shirt to the next veteran we interview.
They call World War II veterans the Greatest Generation, and by preserving their legacy we will ensure that future generations will never forget their courage, honor, and spirit. Go to voicesfromthefront.org and find out how you can get involved today, and working together, we can all give back to those we owe so much.
Thank you for your support of our mission.
P.S. About a month ago, a veteran I had recently interviewed called me and asked that his story not be published. While I was disappointed, I agreed to his request. I want all veterans to remember this is YOUR story, if you decide you don’t wish to share your story, even if you initially agreed to, it is never too late to change your mind. If there is one or two particular experiences you don’t wish to discuss, share the rest of your story with us, and leave that part out. I understand and respect that some things are better left unsaid.
“I’m no hero,” one veteran I was trying to interview told me. Many of the veterans I have interviewed insist they are not the heroes. It’s funny, but the supply guys and the office guys always say, “It’s the soldiers on the front lines who are the heroes.”
The soldiers on the front lines always say, “The real heroes are the ones who didn’t make it home.”
For me, every soldier, from the one sitting behind a desk to the one lying in the cemetery deserves my respect and my gratitude. And he has it. If you don’t want share your story because you don’t consider yourself a hero, or you think your actions aren’t worth mentioning, call me. Maybe I can change your mind.
Kyle Miller – 740-675-1116 or e-mail me kyle.miller@voicesfromthefront.org
     

A Small World

Kyle's Eagle Project is taking off! We had the pleasure of interviewing a Korean War Vet this morning. We had such a great time chatting we lost track of time and were there for almost 3 hours! But the stories were great and while Kyle was interviewing I was talking with this vets wife. Believe it or not their first house when they got married, was right down the street from where Bill and I bought our first house. Literally within about 10 houses from each other!

Every time we leave an interview we get in car and look at each other and can't believe the stories we have heard or the coincidences we find. The boy is amazing. He has such a passion for this and its quite an honor to take him around to these interviews and be a part of them. I'm hoping that since I'm the photographer I will still be able to accompany him when he is able to drive himself!











Picture of the Day

Another amazing man. Another incredible story. Another friend for Kyle.
The plaque above them reads:

Yesterday is History
Tomorrow is a Mystery
Today is a Gift
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Very suiting for this man's life.

Fine Men

Kyle at the Statehouse - May 2011

Today is all about Kyle. It's not his birthday. Not any sort of significant day regarding Kyle but he is on my mind. Probably because he never ceases to amaze me with what an incredible person he is.

I had  the joy of attending a memorial service with him Sunday afternoon. Most might not think that is something to be joyful about but it was a Celebration of Life for Mr. Richard Wheeler, a WWII veteran friend of Kyle's. Mr. Wheeler wanted a celebration and his wife honored those wishes.

He was an amazing man who has had a huge influence on Kyle. They have spent many hours together talking and having lunch at meetings. We  visited Mr. Wheeler's home which Kyle said is like a museum! He got the special tour while I was meeting with Mr.Wheeler's wife. There were books and military medals galore. Kyle had a ball and Mr. Wheeler did too. Packages with DVD's, articles, and notes arrived frequently in the mail. Along with many veterans, Mr. Wheeler would bring Kyle books to read. He has so much to read he doesn't need to go to the library since the library comes to him! So many of these men want to pass along things to Kyle to help teach him and preserve their stories. This has become a passion for Kyle and the men in the Veteran's Chapter he belongs to have taken him under their wing.

When we were at the Veterans Meeting last Wednesday, Mrs. Wheeler asked me if Kyle could say a few words at the memorial service. When I told him about the request his first words were he needed to do it.

Before he left for his Boy Scout camp Friday he sat down and wrote his memorial speech. When he asked me to come read it I had tears. He wrote straight from the heart. Took him no time at all, he knew what he wanted to say.

If you have never heard Kyle deliver a presentation, you are missing out on a wonderful speaker. It is truly a gift, one that he gets from his Dad. He has such a presence when he is up in front of people and it comes across as sincere and confident. You can tell he enjoys doing it and in this case he was so honored and proud to do this for Mr. Wheeler.

But what I love most about my son, he comes back to sit next to me in the pew (of course my tears are flowing) and he puts his arm around me, hugs me, and pats my shoulder. He always does this whenever we are at something that makes me emotional. He always has that hug, comforting arm, and sweet words. Always asks if I'm OK.

From the time he was very little we always thought he had such a deep soul that really felt for other people unlike many other kids his age. He is so empathetic, so genuine and sincere. He is more than I ever dreamed of what he would become and he is not quite 15 years old.

So yes, attending a memorial service with my son was a joy. I was beaming with pride as the line formed afterward to talk to him and hear about his relationship with Mr. Wheeler. He was so proud to be there and honor such a great man. Much like I am honored to be Kyle's mom.

Below is Kyle's eulogy for Mr. Wheeler:

The hardest part of preparing this speech for today was trying to think of a way to describe Richard Wheeler. He was a kind, thoughtful, and dedicated man, dedicated to his faith, dedicated to his family, dedicated to his fellow veterans of the Second World War and preserving their stories.




My name is Kyle Miller; I first met Richard Wheeler at a meeting of the Litsinberger chapter for Veterans of Battle of the Bulge in November 2008. Because of my interest in military history, particularly World War 2 I wanted to meet some of the men who had lived and fought in this greatest of wars and hear their personal stories. Mr. Wheeler was one of the first to share his experiences with me, but of course when you have as many incredible stories as he did no one could ever hear it all in one meeting. Whenever I saw Mr. Wheeler at a veteran’s chapter meeting he would always have a story about World War 2, whether about his own experiences, his paratrooper unit, or anything else involving the war he always had something I wanted to hear. I often received large envelopes in the mail that would have magazines, photos, and DVDs related to World War 2 that Mr. Wheeler knew I would like. I learned a lot of a critical time in human history because of Mr. Wheeler and from a perspective I could never have gotten on my own or in a book or in a movie. It was a human perspective from a human who lived through it. But more than a history lesson, I got something significantly greater. I gained a very good friend, one who was kind and supportive, one who was fun and smart, and one whom I will miss very much. Mr. Wheeler always said the true heroes are in the cemeteries, but I always saw him as hero in life, and I know that now and for all eternity Richard Wheeler will reside with the greatest of men.


Thank you.

Vietnam Moving Wall

Last week I took the kids to see the Vietnam Wall that had made a stop in Pickerington. We were so lucky to have it so close to home and right near Veteran's Day. Going the day after Kyle's Veteran Presentation was perfect since the girls had heard all the stories and have a good appreciation for what this means.

I always give the kids a reminder when we go to things like this about being quiet and respectful. When we arrived there was a sign posted that this was "hallowed ground" to please do not use cell phones, no food or drink, no rough play, no smoking etc. Not only were the kids fabulously behaved and respectful (which I would not have tolerated anything but!) Ethan got in the van when we were leaving asking me why other people were so disrespectful.

Right along the walkway of the wall, someone had a drink, a man was talking loudly on his cell phone, and a lady was standing at the end of the wall smoking. I didn't even know how to respond but to tell him I was proud of him for noticing how bad that looks. These men deserve more than that. He said he wanted to say something to one of them but he was afraid. I wish I had known at the time since I think an 11 year old pointing out the proper way to behave at a memorial would have had more impact than an adult saying it.

I know Ethan along with the girls really got a lot out of the experience. I know they will enjoy our DC trip !

Who is Worth Remembering

The title for Kyle's presentation was Who is Worth Remembering. I am in complete awe of my son. Since he was a little toddler there was something about him that was unique, as each child is in their own way. Kyle has a gift and that gift is his passion for History, specifically  military history and Veterans, and he loves to do public speaking.
This does not come from me. It is definitely a Bill trait. I am so fortunate to have Bill as my husband to coach Kyle and help guide him down this path. I try to make every opportunity possible to him in regards to his desire to follow this journey.I take down the directions, drive him where he needs to be, take pictures, proofread writings, and time speeches and, take care of the busy work. These thoughts and ideas that he brings me that are the beginnings of his stories are him. 100% Kyle.
The thing I love is that he is able to tell people he is home schooled. It makes me so happy for people to see what the product of a home education really is. What it does for kids who are able to follow their passions and really take them to the next level. He is in no way restricted in what he wants to learn about and what skills he wishes to take up. I truly believe that is a major factor in his ability to give a presentation to hundreds of people and have them riveted in their seats. He has worked so hard. He had the time and the desire to follow his passion and today it took him far.
Kyle, you are so very welcome for "all those pictures". I have enjoyed every minute of this project with you. I love the talks in the car, the chats we have about your Veteran friends, listening to you rehearse, and most importantly being your mom.

Presentation of Medals

This morning Kyle and I went to the Statehouse to see one of his Veteran friends receive a very important medal, the Knight of the Legion of Honor. This medal was presented by Governor Strickland and a representative from France. This medal is in France the equivalent to the Congressional Medal of Honor here in the States. Mr. Bott was one of eight men to be presented this medal in the Rotunda of the Statehouse. We were kindly invited to attend by Mr. Bott who Kyle has interviewed for his Veteran's Day presentation. Mr. Bott is very humble about his service and has a very powerful and moving story including being captured and a POW during WWII.

We were so happy to be included and Mr. Bott was very happy to see Kyle even with a huge turn out from his family. We were not sure if we would be able to watch the ceremony since we did not have an "official invitation" but really we just did not have a table to sit at. Kyle insisted on wearing his suit to which I told him he didn't have to since we probably would only see the men after the ceremony was over in a hall. I will now always listen to his judgement it what to wear!

It is very moving to sit in the Rotunda and watch a ceremony like this. It was such an honor to be a part of. Kyle was also able to meet Governor Strickland who told Kyle he was doing a great thing in interviewing Veterans.

Kyle -

I know you will be reading this when you look at the pictures from today. Words can not express my pride in what a fine young man you have become. It is an honor to be your mom. I look forward to many more events and activities with you as you continue your journey of school and public service.

Love

Mom

Gov. Strickland and Kyle

Mr. Bott being interviewed for the local news.