Craig Heath Blackman

The Long Journey Home Craig Heath Blackman

The Long Journey Home is the story of how a diverse group of post-millennial students rediscovered their local history and truly understood the cost of war. They went beyond the leaning objectives and developed relationships with the mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and friends of twenty-five fallen soldiers. Black and white, single and married, these soldiers were farm boys, construction workers, mechanics, bus boys, college students, and business managers who deployed to the jungles of Southeast Asia never to return. Like other teenagers of their time, these soldiers enjoyed hunting, fishing, singing, surfing, baseball, ham radios, and riding motorcycles. The Long Journey Home is the story of tears and sadness, patriotism and sacrifice, heroism and comradery. The high school students who engaged in this project will never be the same. Interacting with the Gold Star families forever sculpted them emotionally and intellectually. May we always remember that sacrifice without remembrance is meaningless!