Berlin Intermediate School fifth graders took a trip to the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines last week to hear stories of the American sacrifice for freedom.
Berlin Intermediate students watch a demonstration of the proper way to fold a flag during a recent field trip to the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines.
Tara Fischer / Bayside Gazette
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Berlin Intermediate School fifth graders took a trip to the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines on Friday, June 7, to hear stories of the American sacrifice for freedom.
Don McMullen, who is responsible for the park’s educational outreach, said that 160 students arrived on Friday alone. Throughout the year, 650 fifth graders from BIS, Worcester Preparatory School, Snow Hill Elementary School, Pocomoke Elementary School, and Most Blessed Sacrament flock to the site to enhance their classroom knowledge.
The area was dedicated in 2005 with a Memorial Day celebration. According to Sharyn O’Hare, who started the project, the first flag at the Ocean Pines spot had just flown over the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, months earlier. The relic is now located at the Yacht Club, protected by a glass container.
The veteran site’s legacy has expanded beyond the historic flag. It has served Worcester County students since 2007.
“After our first ceremony, the co-chair and I decided we wanted it to be a living memorial, not just sticks and bricks,” O’Hare said. “The way we figured was through our youth. We had to educate them. We went to the superintendent of schools and said, ‘We want to bring students here for a field trip.’ He loved the idea.”
The students are cycled through stations, including the Patriot’s Pathway, which details every United States engagement since the American Revolution, and tables with Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps representatives. The children rotate in 15-minute segments.
O’Hare emphasized that the inspiration behind the veteran’s site was remembrance. She hopes that the message reaches the young learners.
“The memorial came because we were losing so many of our men and women that have served our country,” the founder said. “If we didn’t tell their stories, who would?”
“The kids all leave with stories,” she continued. “We try to encourage them to talk at home and get stories from military members in their lives. The important thing is they are exposed to it. They need to know what sacrifices people made for their freedom because, as we know, it’s not free.”
Before the kids arrive at the park, they are shown “Our Nation’s Veterans: Heroes All,” a movie created by the memorial’s creators. At the end, the students are given a booklet with everything they learned on the trip to reinforce their newfound knowledge.
O’Hare maintained that the tour is always well-received by the teachers, school administration, and parents. She noted that it is the memorial’s most important project, and fundraising is completed to cover the costs of the educational pamphlets, buses, and necessary expenses.
Volunteers are present at the site to educate the students. This year, Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38) facilitated the Patriot’s Pathway station.
The legislator said that part of the presentation is focused on local history. The teachers who attend explain to the elementary students Ocean City’s role in World War II and the history behind Stephen Decatur, a naval war hero during the War of 1812 from Worcester County.
“It’s very uplifting,” Carozza said earlier this month. “You can see that they aren’t going to remember every fact or story, but they will remember being there, which makes an impression for the future… It is very localized, and you believe you are planting seeds for appreciation.”