Middle School

Unsung Heroes of WWI

by John Heeg

I completed this lesson when I was a teaching fellow for the National WWI Museum.  As a former Hospital Corpsman I wanted to create a lesson where students would analyze documents from the perspective of healthcare practitioners during WWI.  During my research, I was able to reach out to and have productive dialogue with historians that specializes on the topic such as Dr. Emily Mayhew, Dr. Gregory Archer, and Navy BUMED historian Andre Sobisinski.  I enjoyed the research and wrote an essay on stretcher bearers that was published at the University of Kansas Medical Center site.  

D-Day

by John Heeg

Corporal Bruce Kane and the Vietnam War

by John Heeg

I looked at the virtual Vietnam wall to find out how many members on the Vietnam Wall were from the school district that I teach in.  I found 7.  I then began doing some research to find out more about these men that were killed in action.  Bruce Kane’s story intrigued me because he was listed as missing in action.  I did numerous google searches that eventually led me to the POW/MIA database where I was able to find letters to his mother and the report that was done by investigators.  I kind of got carried away with this one so I continued doing more research that led me to interviewing a helicopter pilot that saw Kane’s helicopter get shot down.  Other people I spoke with knew about Kane from the community.  It led me to write a paper: Tragedy in Laos What Happened to Corporal Bruce Kane.