Teaching after the Vietnam War

Science teacher George Herrmann and photography teacher Frank Stallings have something in common that many of their students don’t know: they are both Vietnam veterans who consider themselves lucky to be alive.

Herrmann and Stallings arrived in Vietnam through very different paths. As the son of an American diplomat, Herrmann became interested in foreign affairs early in his life. After graduating from college, he decided to pursue a career in the military at the time of the Vietnam War. Stallings, on the other hand, was drafted into the army against his will at age 19, when he was still in college.

Although Herrmann and Stallings did not participate in direct combat, both faced many of the difficulties that combat soldiers encounter. ”We were shot at. We would occasionally get rocket and rifle fire at our base,” Herrmann says of himself and his fel low soldiers.

While in Vietnam, all soldiers were exposed to the impending threat of death. Herrmann was never injured in the war, but he suffered the loss of a friend whose helicopter was shot down. He compares being in the war to buying a lottery ticket. ”You went out and you had no idea whether someone was going to shoot at you. You just tried to be prepared,” he says.

Stallings believes that the Vietnam War was especially dangerous because much of the warfare took place on uncultivated land. &#148A lot of times, [soldiers] were in the jungle and didn’t even see who was firing at [them] until after the fire fighting was over,” he recalls.

Perhaps most difficult for Stallings was seeing the dire effect that the war had on the people of Vietnam. ”The most devastating things that stuck in my mind were the horrors that came upon children whose parents were killed. The most frightening thing was the fear in those little kids’ eyes,” Stallings recounts. Witnessing the tragic consequences of the Vietnam War made Herrmann realize how destructive war is. ”It’s a waste of material; it’s a waste of people, and it’s a waste of people’s time,” he concludes.

A learning experience

Herrmann and Stallings say that the knowledge they gained in the military has helped them become better teachers. During his time in the military, Herrmann traveled to Ethiopia, Germany, Hong Kong, Jordan, Mali and Vietnam. He says that his travels help him to relate to his students. ”I have been to most of the countries that my students come from,” he says. ”Sometimes I can reach kids from that perspective.”

Although Herrmann does not support war, he sees the military as a viable option for students who are unsure about their futures. ”[Being in the military] helps you find direction, and it helps people develop discipline,” he says. However, Herrmann emphasizes that a career in the military is not for everyone. ”Vietnam was an eye-opening experience. For someone who was [originally] interested in going into the military, Vietnam convinced me that I wasn’t interested in doing that the rest of my life,” Herrmann says.

While Stallings also recommends joining the military to some students, he says that many teens today have the wrong impression of war because of the glorious and glamorous way it has been depicted on TV and in movies. As he and Herrmann learned in Vietnam, war is anything but glamorous. ”You see a lot of devastating things that make you think about how precious life really is and how lucky you are to be in [America],” Stallings states.

Both Herrmann and Stallings appreciate the sacrifices that countless Americans have made for their nation. Herrmann says, &#148Each time I go by Arlington National Cemetery and I see the huge numbers of servicemen buried there I am reminded of how lucky I am.&#148</p>